Farey Tayles
by memories of saturday
Summary: Hallow Rose, a compilation of fairy tale variations written by the loving man her grandmother fell in love with years ago. But when that man's grandson came, she knew their Grandparents didn't have their Happily Ever After for a better reason.
1. The Pages

Disclaimer: for the whole series, I'd only state it once: **I do not own G.A. or even the characters.**

**Summary:**

She, who takes good care of their old family business passed down by her grandparents, was entrusted to hold the book entitled Hallow Rose. It was a compilation of different fairy tales variations handwritten by her Grandmother's first love before her Grandfather, but unlikely of the fairy tales written on the book the old lovers never got the chance to have their happily ever after story. The book was kept safely in her closet until the day He came for it, and prove that some things in the past do happen for a reason.

**Chapter 1 _The Pages_**

Seated in his black leather high back chair with his forehead creasing with frustration as he waited for his secretary's update about his ongoing search for 'it', is a certain raven haired lad. Absently tracing his fingers in the edge of his tablet, a loud ringing buzz came from his locally connected office phone. The sound filled the previously quiet room with its the sound vibrating in its four white painted walls, though it didn't last for long. Fluidly pressing on the loud speaker, the ringing sound turned into low humming response with the sound of the car's engine in the background.

With a simple grunt, his secretary Anna, who probably is now on her way towards his office, started her usual way of reporting to her boss.

"Mr. Hyuuga, the private investigator, who we sent 3 weeks ago has now handled me the documents we needed for tracking on the shop who according to our reliable source have been keeping the book" with a short pause, she continued "though I can only guaranty a small percentage that the owner of this bookstore would likely be selling 'it' since it's is not written on their sales list for the past few yea—"

With a heavy voice the young man cut her out with his low murmur "I don't care if they don't sell it." with a look on his side he continued "Send me a copy of those documents in my mobile ASAP." And with that he pushed on the end button and with a grunt let his back feel his office chair for the mean time.

As the youngest business tycoon ever included in the Forbes magazine, a lot of people would never think that a single frame could stress out the 'Natsume Hyuuga'. He's invincible. That's what they think, but they were wrong, just like the fact that beside him is a picture taken with his Grandfather, who is now lying weak on his bed. He needed to find 'it', the only thing his Grandpa is asking him to look for. And he wouldn't stop until he does, for his beloved old man.

Hand written for compilation by a loving man, is a book entitled Hallow Rose, and even though what is written inside in each pages is unknown to Natsume. He never had a choice but to search all throughout the world to lay a hand on it, and it was destined to be the best gift he could give for his sick mentor. He had indebt everything he has with his Grandpa, every bits of dollar added to his account per seconds, every knowledge he has in managing, and every business stock that rose upon the global market. The honorable man who stood as his parent when they passed away, the last member of his family, is dying. And as an upright grandson, he wouldn't just sit down and wait for it to happen, not when he can make him happy if not, at least contented.

Grabbing on his car keys and leaving his things for his hardworking staffs to carry, he walked out of his 78th floor building, turned towards his wheels and started his way home. He doesn't care if he would have to travel a mile to reach his family manor, he doesn't care if he couldn't visit his flat for the whole month, or hell he won't even care if it is midnight, what important for him is the health of the old man, and how is he doing for the period of time.

Sports cars paid with hundred thousands of dollars are proven efficient for their speed. Very fast. No doubt in that as he drove from the city towards a more rural area, he barely notice as he passed by on it in a blur, the tall buildings and crowded street with thousands of light bulbs on until it turns towards a lesser populated area with occasional buildings and dim lights. With less than an hour of maniac driving, he finally reached the old yet elegant looking manor. The place of his childhood.

No questions were asked as he passed by the widely opened metal gates guarded by men in black suits. Parking his convertible car directly in front of the wood like colored door, and handling his car keys towards his now assisting butler, he went in and coolly walked towards his grandfather's room. The old man sick of aging, was lying comfortably in his bed. Slowly Natsume walked towards him and sat beside him, silently watching the rising and falling of his grandpa's chest for a long moment of time. He round down his thoughts from the simple work related meetings towards the complicated problem he was dealing for the past few months. He momentarily cut his thoughts by time his Android phone vibrated in his pocket. He fished it out and took a look in his phone's screen the scanned documents and mini map sent by Anna. A job well done, as expected from a well-educated young lady.

A few minutes passed when he heard a familiar male voice talking with their butler, a few more seconds and a knock was heard. With a creaking sound from the door comes in a blonde man with azure blue eyes. Slowly he walked towards his best friend and placed his warm hands on Natsume's shoulder, just with that simple gesture, without even blurting out even a single word of concern, Natsume fairly understand his friend's sympathy. Ruka always stand by him, and he couldn't think of a day that his animal loving friend could possibly leave him.

"He was waiting for you, you know?"

He watched as the crimson eyed guy fixed his Grandfather's blanket when he continued.

"he knew you were busy looking for the book. He seems happy about it, though he still looked really sick."

"I found where it was kept, Ruka." Natsume said as he stood from his chair, looking towards the door. A look of exhaustion slowly hinting away from his angular face.

"Really? Where? I thought it's out of the country?" Ruka said with clear curiosity written on his face.

"No. it ends up being just a few kilometers away from my working place. If that is what Umenomiya told me with this map she sent me." Natsume answered as he handed his phone to his friend. Ruka stared at the screen for a couple of minutes before he fully understand the location of the store, clearly it is located a few blocks away from the main building of the Hyuuga corporation. It was the way heading towards the infamous Geeky school in the city, and if the map wouldn't lie it would be very easy to find. Just like eating peanuts.

Running on all the possibilities coming from his mind of his, Ruka launched another series of questions towards his pal. As always, he is very curious.

"So.. would you go there? When? Would you like me to come? Do you think they really have it, and if they do, do you honestly think they would hand it to yo—" He was cut off with the raven haired guy's reply.

"I would make them give it to me tomorrow, alone." Very typical for the Natsume Hyuuga that he knew. His rude yet effective way of getting something he need.

"I'd be in my room" Natsume said as he tap on Ruka's arms to bid a silent good night and straightly walk towards the room across his grandfather's room, leaving his friend and his beloved old man to have his own time to think. Just the same way he'd have to rest. He knew it would be a very long day tomorrow.

In her 24 years of existence, morning sun shines had always been Mikan's daily start. With her MA degree in English certificate, which she had just gotten a few days ago, hanging safely in her room's colorful walls, nothing can beat her stunning smile as she brush her hair in front of her mirror. She's seriously considering to take a job in a publishing company but she is having a hard time leaving her family's little bookstore in the hands of nobody. She chuckled after remembering her funny conversation with her mom a couple of nights away, her father, who had been earning thousands of dollar for planning off shore projects, insisted that she remain in charge of their family's bookstore and about her not needing for a job and her not being a burden to the family. For them she was never a burden. Was she? With her flat, credit cards, her previous tuition fees, and her food allowance paid by her dad and her mom visiting her every month to check on her, she doubt if she wasn't really a burden. But for them she was never a heavy load, in fact they think of her as their sunshine, their own personal sunshine.

Walking a few blocks away from her place, stood The Pages, her grandparent's efforts and hardship in a tangible form. Their family's treasured bookstore. Everybody thinks it looks awesome, since her late grandfather literally filled the walls with book replicas, including the grid and the sides of the door, which is made of thick glass, all in all giving it the unique aura that kept the locals and even tourist to love their shop. Opening up 9 am in the morning is a little late, but since she's been closing a little over the clock, she fairly thinks it won't hurt.

As soon as she opened the store's inviting door, her friend Koko, who delivers the latest newspapers and magazines, came by and handled her broadsheets for display. As a routine, he helped her in arranging the papers in order and with a spilt second bolted out the store with the sight of his girlfriend Sumire Shouda passing by towards her office space. The Pages is quite popular, in fact, most students, office staffs, mothers, teachers, or rather everyone within 5 blocks vicinity including the walking distant school, chose to buy their school stuffs from bookmarks and pencils to fiction novels and academic books in there.

Nonoko, one of her best friend helps her with the management of the store would be back from her 2 week vacation. Before, when Mikan still have classes, she used to take shifts with her and take a look after the store until she came back. But since Mikan just graduated from college she decided to give Nonoko a long vacation off the hook.

Mikan wearing a simple faded pair of jeans and her mossy green sweatshirt along with her sweet smiles and polite words along with her occasional clumsiness and laugh stocking habits, she never failed to entertain the customers. Like how Mr. Narumi, a highschool teacher in the school near the shop loved to see Mikan wrap his surprise incentive pencils for his responsible and hardworking students, the same way of how Mikan helped Tsubasa, her senpai, in choosing his 1st year anniversary gift for Misaki which happened to be a very sweet hardbound novel book from her favorite author. Mikan being inside the stall, and helping the costumers, always keeps her busy. Busy enough to make time fly, which in why she wasn't really aware of the moment a man came in for a deeper business.

She was standing in her wooden chair to reach the shelves beside another pile of books not so far in the counter, to dust it out when the door flew open. Letting the chimes make its lovely sound. Like always she hurriedly came down to greet the person whom she probably might know and help him or her on whatever he or she would probably need, but what she saw wasn't what she really expected. In front of her was a guy. A guy was even an understatement, it would be better to call him a very gorgeous man instead. Someone, whom she never met, yet looks familiar. And one thing is for sure, he is anything but ordinary, and he's up for something new to her.

"are you Yuka Sakura?" he asked while taking off his highly tinted eye glasses off and placing it in the pocket of his vest, penetrating his gaze directly towards the brunette, causing a blush to slowly creep its way out on her porcelain skin.

"umn,… no, she isn't here, and oh!, By the way, good morning and welcome to The Pages." Mikan exclaimed as she try to make a light conversation with him but the new guy wasn't really paying attention to her, not after her first few words. He looked like someone who is in deep thought, like his mind is in a different channel from hers. Like he lost interest on whatever she said as soon as she said the word NO.

"she isn't in here-?" the guy lowly echoed in connotation to what Mikan said with frustration embarked on how he pronounce every syllable of that line and continued "so that means she used to be in here. Do you know her? Her contact number? " evidently showing his snobbish personality.

The line_ 'too bad he seems mean' _run in her mind, as she watched how he tap on his phone in his right hand and slip it on his pocket like a manager _'and bossy too.' _She added.

But Mikan, being the polite one didn't voice out her thought and said "yes mister, as a matter of fact, she is my mom. Though, I think it would be right for you to tell me who you are and why do you—" but he rudely cut her out. She gave of a sighed in frustration.

"Give her number to me." The guy said in a voice that projects authority and power. Which she hurriedly brushed off in disbelief. How dare he barge in the shop and order her around.

"Excuse me?" Mikan said in skepticism. Never in her entire life had she met a guy as ill-mannered as he was. It would most likely make her puke.

"Her number. Get it?" He repeated, in a similar way like he is talking to a kindergarten pupil who couldn't even spell the word _cat_ rather than a completely literate lady who can read 20 thick books in 3 days, which kind of pissed her. A nerve almost popped on her head but she tried her very best on, if not being too friendly but at least to be a little formal with him. She cleared her throat awkwardly and faced him.

"I don't want to be rude mister, but I don't just go around giving away my mom's number. Not unless maybe, I have an idea what you need from her." She said tilting her head a little. Innocence and a tint of anger evident in her voice. she waited patiently for his reply as he processed what she had just said. She stared blankly at him as he deliberately thinks of what are the right words to say that would probably shut her up. And as soon as he said it, she knew he hit the spot.

"Hallow Rose." He paused

Doubting her ear, she repeated the name of the book "Hallow Rose?" thousands of stories from her childhood which was told by her grandmother to her flashes back in her mind, as if she had been uprooted in her stance. Is this too good looking guy her grandmother's ex-lover? was she a pedophile?

"you wrote it?" he threw her a _'are you kidding me look?' _and answered her

"it's my Grandfather's book." He took a pause slightly giving her time to process what he had just said as she let another sigh of relief flush over her, at least she knew the young man wasn't his Grandma's lovers and the late woman wasn't a phedo,

she watched him as he continued "I need it. Does she have it?" the guy asked in a seemingly low voice.

it was as if the two of them is talking about a taboo topic and not about an old hand written book handed down to their generation.

With a blunt but honest reply Mikan answered "No." she was supposed to add more but was distracted

With a sudden swing in the door revealing Nonoko with a huge smile plastered on her face shouting "Mikan I'm bac-"

She was cut off by the intense atmosphere around the two people talking with each other, embarrassed by her accident interference , she slowly moved against one of the shelves adjacent the wall, moving further away but still close enough to eavesdrop. It was awkward, and it made them all struggle to give off a better ambience back in the air.

Natsume went into his senses just a few minutes after he heard Mikan's unfinished reply, slowly he turned around and was about to leave when she managed to lowly continued what she was about to say with her small voice.

"I have it with me."

It echoed in his ears,

With that,

He turned back.

Formed his billion dollar smirk

And said "Natsume Hyuuga."

A/N: sorry for the typos and grammatical error,.. I don't really tend to reread before I post. And sadly I don't know or have any application that rechecks grammar, so I hope you guys can bear with it. And btw. Reviews aren't really compulsory but it could always make the writer happy.


	2. Sleeping Beauty

Chapter 2 _Sleeping Beauty_

61 years ago, a loving man had written the girl of his life a compilation of fairytales and shorts stories that captured her heart. She being called a beauty is an understatement; with a pair of caramel colored eyes with tints of chocolate brown reflecting innocence and happiness, a long auburn colored hair gently swinging with the air, and a lovely smile warmed by her golden heart; she never failed to make his heart skip a beat. Tightly bonded by a black leather cover with its pages written with his elegant script, he handed the book to her with his heart and left to do what he has to endure for his family's sake. She, who was left heartbroken, entitled the book, Hallow Rose. That man married another woman, whom he respected so much, for his parents desire. Who was he anyway to destruct his family's wealth and fame when his father dedicated his whole life and effort in it? People may call him a coward, but he is not. Letting the girl he truly loved completely free, the young man broke his heart. He felt like a weakling and the worst man in the world for hurting her heart, but he was very wise— good enough to earn a lot of fortune and reach the top of the world, but still, as the saying goes, money can't buy all the happiness in the world nor could it fix his broken heart.

Before he had his only son, the young man heard that the lovely lady married her best friend whom he knew loves her secretly even before they were dating, and went far south of the country. Painful as it is, he made himself lost track of them intentionally, trying to fully move on with his life without her.

His son was a nobleman and as adorable as the girl she was forcefully married into, just like him. His son was a protégé of their social status, but he was brave enough in marrying the charming lady he loves with no hesitation, very far from the now slightly aging man. His only son, being better than him not only in terms of business management but also in parenting his own heir, managed to rake on the world's economy, as expected from their race. The now old man's heart was again badly beaten up, not because of his first love but the death of his spawn. At the young age of 35, his only son met a plane accident with his affectionate wife leaving his 3 years old grandson on his hands.

Now lying on his sick bed is the 86 year old man, hoping for nothing but a chance to at least rehear the stories he compiled and wrote down for his love coming from the bubbly lady seating with his bedside. A sudden bolt of energy releasing from his core, he need to pull himself a little longer to live.

"Are you really Mia's grandchild?" the old man asked again for the umpteenth time, trying to convince his self that the girl beside him wasn't his first love but a different person. She looks like her. Like his love, like his Mia.

"Yes sir, that's what I'm telling you since I got here. I'm her youngest grandchild. And her only granddaughter." Mikan said as she helped the old man fix his pillow. Across her, sits his grandson who is now glaring at the brunet for his grandfather's fondness towards the clumsy girl.

"I thought you were her." the old man stated as he smiled weakly. He then slowly faced Natsume and said "She looked like Mia, doesn't she?"

Natsume never really realized the resemblance, not until his grandfather pointed it out. Not when he saw her in the shop, not when she insisted that she'd never sell the book to him, not when she convinced him that she wanted to see his grandfather, not when he almost threw her out of the car for her uncontrolled loudness. It was when his grandfather pulled out the picture of the lady he had written the book for that he knew they have the same eyes, hair and face shape. Not that he would admit it though.

"Yeah, when you look at her from the back." He said sarcastically. She looks simple for him though, except maybe from the thought or rather the fact that she probably had swallowed a microphone when she was young and never get to eat granola bars to at least gain more weight.

Mikan seemed to get his sarcasm and told him "Yeah... And you look like the idiot from Forbes magazine."

Natsume automatically scowled. Of course by now he knew that she knows who he is. A girl who probably read every magazine, newspapers and books published for retail wouldn't miss his name, especially when the last Forbes magazine has his face plastered on the front cover and a 3 page article written about him. He doesn't care if it seems that she doesn't like him, but her calling him an idiot straight to his face is a different story.

"What did you say?" It wasn't a question; it was said as a threat. He has this thing in him that always made people feel distant towards him, but she was his enigma, she seemed immune towards him. but he practically doesn't care if his grandpa likes this girl. She's just too much annoying.

"Enough." The old man countered. He then faced Mikan and said in a sweet voice.

"Would you, my dear, read me a story on the book?" she take a teasing look towards the crimson lad and replied to the laying old man.

"Sure, sir." Mikan cutely said, irritating the already pissed raven haired guy.

"Grandpa is better, would you call me that?" The old man continued.

"Okay… grand-pa" Mikan paused after testing the world grandpa in addressing the old man but continued anyway "How about, I read to you the story of sleeping beauty?"

"I would love to." He said as he weakly tried to sit in a better position. Natsume helped him, and they both knew right at that moment that there's still a hope.. a chance that he'd feel better- a motivation to continue breathing.

Mikan then carefully opened the now very old book and started reading the first story.

"Once upon a time, there lived a king and queen who can't have their own child. In despair, they asked the help of the fairies. With their prayers heard by the gods, one day, to the queen's pleasure, she knew she was about to have a baby. The whole kingdom looked forward with great excitement towards the day the baby would be born in this world.

After months of waiting, the beautiful queen gave life to a very lovely princess and they arranged a huge gathering for the princess' Christening. With lots of other guests, the king and queen invited the 8 fairies to show gratitude for their help and asked for their guidance and wishes for their little daughter.

"Wait, aren't there supposed to have 3 fairies? Not 8?"Natsume interrupted all of a sudden, cutting out the storytelling Mikan was sharing to the old man.

She faced the curious man and told him, "Grandma said it's because your Grandpa loves to sneak at 8 in the evening to hear fairytales before. So they changed 3 to 8."

"Wouldn't that change the story?" Natsume asked.

"I don't really think so. Well at least it goes around in little minor way. You should have read the original story of this, and you'd know how much revision a story like this could possibly get."

"You mea-" it was the old man who cut out Natsume's question. "I never liked the original version. Enough with the questionings. Go on Mikan-chan. Read on the next chapter, You see it is kind of getting late now. Dinner would be served in a little while."

Mikan give a slight nod and continued to read "During the Christening celebration, one fairy wished on her the gift of Love, and Happiness; another Contentment, Beauty, Wisdom, Good Health, Goodness. Seven fairies had made their wishes when suddenly, the wicked fairy barged in the castle with the accusation that the whole kingdom is being unfair On not inviting her in the party. With wave on her wand, she had casted a curse at the princess saying that on her 16th birthday, the beautiful heiress would prick herself in a spindle and die with the whole kingdom. With that, a huge silence covered the crowd and the wicked fairy vanished towards the forest."

Mikan adjusted her seat, and made herself more comfortable as she continued reading next part of the story.

"The last fairy wasn't as powerful of the evil one, but with her wish and blessing, she had at least lessened the sentence of the curse. Instead of killing the princess, it would just make her fall in a deep slumber. After that celebration, the king had forbidden the use of spindles in the whole kingdom and they made the princess grow in peace. So they banned and stopped all the spinning from the village.

Over the next few years, the princess had been the nicest, happiest, and loveliest child anybody had ever laid his or her eyes on. It seems that all the wishes of the first seven fairies had come true to life. on the princess' 16th birthday, the majesty's had prepared a royal birthday party, thinking that it would lessen the chance that the princess might encounter a spindle the whole day. A lot of wonderful people coming from the neighboring kingdoms came to celebrate the princess' birthday, and with that, they had all been merry and drunk. When the party was almost over, the princess then had played hide and sick with her new friends form the other places that is when she had run towards a secluded room in the castle. To her surprise, what she found is an old woman dressed in black, sitting on a chair, spinning a spindle.

It was the black fairy. It was very easy for her to tempt the young girl in by showing her the golden spindle with which she is using in her weaving, and when the princess came close enough, she led the young lady to prick herself in the tip of the needle. As soon as she pricked herself, the spell casted by the wicked fairy 16 years ago took effect, but thanks to the good fairy, the young girl fell on the ground, not dead but deeply sleeping. Along with the princess all the other people and the animals in the huge castle fell into a deep sleep.

One hundred years later a young prince was riding through the forest woods when he happened to find the gate of the kingdom -" Mikan paused as she faced the old man. As she touched the 13th page of the book.

"You drew this too?" she asked as she pointed towards the drawing of a princess lying on a bed with flowers around her and the prince nearing her sleeping body.

The old man weakly nodded. But Natsume threw a reaction with the beautifully drawn scene.

"No offense grandpa. But aren't she supposed to be in an old room, on the ground, and not laying in a bed with stinky flowers everywhere?"

Mikan threw him a death glare which he sent back equally.

"It's rude you know. It's a fairy tale. A happy thingy. Why can't you see it Mr. Hyuuga?" She silently snarled at him.

"Curious." He simply said but his look was a giveaway, he's seriously trying to piss her off, and it's working like hell.

And the two of them continued to give off their death glares. Like sending those would change the story's setting.

"Enough you two…" the old man butted in "Mikan-chan could you now finish the story?" Natsume gave a scoff as she continued reading the old writing.

"He took his sword and with a great effort, cut the giant flower veins off his way and searched all the rooms of the kingdom, seeing a lot of people, even the King and the Queen, sleeping. When he reached a golden room, he saw a very beautiful sleeping princess in a bed of red roses—"

"Told you." Natsume cut in rudely, pinpointing the part that the princess wasn't supposed to in a bed since technically, everybody was supposed to fell asleep, even the fairies. How the hell did she ended up in the bed anyway when the first part clearly said she was alone in a secluded area when the wicked fairy tricked her to death—or rather sleep?

"Ssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhssss" Mikan hissed towards him as she desperately went on the story.

"He fell in love with the beauty of the sleeping princess and bent down near her to give her the kiss of her life. His kiss for the lady broke the spell that took hold on the whole kingdom, and the whole castle woke up. The Royal family was reunited and a great party was then arranged. The princess married her hero and the two of them lived happily ever after."

"The End." the old man said and smiled at the young lady. And that concluded the first story she had read for the man whom her grandmother fell in love with. She learned that the old man really have a very kind heart, just like the way her late Grandmother had told her. She ate dinner with Natsume and the chairman (Natsume's grandpa) and stayed in the old man's room for the rest of the evening until she had to say her goodbye.

"Thank you Mikan-chan, You don't know how happy I am that you visited me."

"Thank you too grandpa. I never thought I would be able to meet you. My grandma had filled my childhood retelling me how nice you were to her." She gave a very sweet smile to the old man and said "and thanks for the hospitality."

"Always Mikan-chan. You're always welcome to come in here. In fact, I want you to come back and read me more stories inside the book." And he flashed a look in his impatient grandson standing beside his bed's pole.

"I know, my grandson wouldn't mind? Right Natsume?"

He gave him a grunt. And he subtly said yes.

Of course he couldn't say no. no matter how, intolerable the loud and clumsy girl beside her is. Not when she made his beloved grandpa a lot stronger from his weak state. He owes her the old man's condition. And he would have to bear a lot of her more often. He knew that. She focused his look on the klutz girl.

She gives the old man a peck on the forehead and said, "Sure Grandpa. You should be better when I come back, but for now I better get going."

Natsume gave her a sideway glace and murmured, "The driver will send you home." But the chairman shot him a death glare that he knew he meant he wanted his own grandson drive her home.

"Okay. I'll send you home." And he walked her down towards the car. Another more than half an hour of nonsense babbles.

She hoped inside the convertible car and took the courage on seating with the most sophisticated guy he had ever met in her entire life. He silently got in the car and started the engine with a blink of an eye.

"You know, you've got a really good grandfather." She said as she opened her purse and got some Kit Kat in her bag. She looked outside the window and heard his low reply.

"Hmn." She bites on the first stick then took the other one she had just opened and offered it to him. He just shook his head to reject it, not even a 'no thanks.'

"Can't you answer questions with longer phases?" she asked, clearly offended of him not even showing even a slight hint of gratitude.

"Whatever." he murmured and continued driving towards the expressway.

"You're hopeless!" she screamed in frustration.

"So are you." He answered bluntly. Using his right hand, he took out something from his pocket.

He handled her black fountain pen and said "Write your number." He then pointed on a memo paper in front of her. That paper was supposed to be a pad for his schedule but since his phone's battery is dead, he'd just have to stick with her number written on it.

"Would I write the store number?"

"Depends? You carry it around your place too?" he answered sarcastically.

She turned slightly red in embarrassment, "Okay, I get it." and she wrote her cellphone number On it, a few minutes of silence as she busily scribbled more in the pad. After she's done, she looked at it smiling, satisfaction curving in her face.

"Oh! I forgot, thanks for the pen. And she placed it near him with her number beside his car speaker. Her attention was drawn to the steering wheel. She noticed the Eiffel tower keychain dangling from his car keys.

'_He must have always been in Paris.'_ She thought as she brought back her attention into the pen.

"If you have time." She said deeply thinking if she could say what she wants to say but went on anyway. "We have sign pens in our book store. I could give you a discount if you want one. Not that you'd need a discount." And she gave him her blindingly bright smile.

"A discount on a sign pen." He said mockingly. He bit his tongue in the process, trying hard not to laugh and ended up smirking in a very odd way.

"Yeah, a pen just like this but a lot more cheaper." She then takes a straight look towards his eyes with a wondering look on her face, what going on that stupid mind of hers is unknown to him, but it looks like it's something about him being rich, and a pen being a—pen. Nothing more, nothing less.

'_What an idiot'_ he thought.

"Just wondering Mr. Hyuuga, but. Why do you invest in such expensive pens like this when you can have a dozen boxes of sign pens instead?"

A frowned came in to his mind. He doesn't really know. He grew up using this kind of pen, saw the chairman used it in work, his teachers using it for studies, his colleagues using it in signing. Now that he thought about it, his reason is kind of absurd.

"Everybody around me uses it." he said. She frowned.

"But normal people don't usually use pen like this." It's rare for a guy in his age to go around the shop or sign in a library card with a use of a fountain pen. Why are they so expensive anyway? Is it because they don't blot even if you drop them?

"Are you telling me I'm abnormal?" it wasn't a question, in fact, it was a statement of disbelief.

"Maybe." She said half-jokingly, and she received another extra dose of death glare. Outside, he may look cool giving off that stare, but inside, he was really thinking about what she said. Was he really abnormal? Was it in a good way, or never mind—

"Books."

"Excuse me?" she asked, her eyebrow pulled itself upward.

"Aren't book stores supposed to sell books?"

She smiled at him and said, "Then who would sell pens if we don't? Is there such a kind of store named Pen Shop?"

He rubbed his temple with his left hand driving only with his right and answered, "Idiot. It would be school supply shops."

"Hey! Watch who you are calling idiot, mister!" and she feigned a look of hurt. But continued anyway "Well that is what we are. A bookstore –slash- school supply shop –slash- magazine and newspaper stall, and sometimes we even turn out to be a wrapping store. I mean, we wrap gifts, books and even pencils." And she laughed sweetly, too cute to be exact and he caught that.

"Mr. Hyuuga, have I told you, you look funny." Funny in a way he always seems to have this dark aura around him.

He spat his reply after a second, "Have I told you, you look short?"

"I guess we both haven't." she said now laughing. "By the way, your company would be extending cellphones and laptop production to tablets right?"

"Are you stalking me?"_'How much more arrogant could he get?' _she thought seriously. Does she looks like someone who have time stalk gorgeo—never mind.

"Of course not!" she said, almost shouting towards him in defense. Surely, he knew she didn't, it was a news headline 3 days ago. Anyone would have read it.

"Not that I want to hurt your oh!- so big ego, I read it the new paper, not by stalking you. I swear, you're creeping me out."

"Well at least now, I know a fairy tale geek like you wouldn't go around my place looking for something to stalk me with." He said as he remembered the crazy photographer caught by his guards after running circles in his manor garden. It wasn't funny, it was hilarious.

"Eww!... I'm having goose bumps now." she exclaimed, "Really?... Hyuuga,.. Well at least I won't be accused with childhood bankruptcy 'cause I happen to read such wonderful tales just like sleeping beauty."

"Read an unrealistic story, what a legacy Sakura."

"Unrealistic?" she echoed "it's a fairy tale Mr. Hyuuga, its supposed end with a Happily Ever After."

"Elaborate." he countered as he turn right around the alley, he's over 100 kph now, though the girl beside him wouldn't even took notice of it. They're speeding out.

"They were written to make every child happy by giving off a happy ending, with a colorful and fantasy like story inside it. Just like every story written in Hallow Rose, well apart from Rumpelstiltskin and the pied piper maybe." He looked at her for a second and looking back at the road as fast as he could. Her line seemed unfinished; he knew she'd like to say more.

"You see—the real sleeping beauty story was some kinda sort of- repaired? Or should I say, rewritten?"

"You mean?"

"It was actually not the usual Disney version that is oh so sweet. In fact, it was really devastating that I find it inappropriate for a youngster to read." She paused and gave him a sunny glare, "Even your Grandfather doesn't like it too much, but the original tale is some sort of, disturbing for many people's taste."

"Why?" he asked slightly getting irritated. Why can't she just retell the story to him by then?

"It started with a princess, just like the one I read this afternoon: pretty, nice, and has a beautiful kingdom around her, but she wasn't named Aurora like Disney had told every child for the past few generations, her name was Talia. She was a young woman who is put to sleep because not of a curse but more like a 'prophecy'. When she fell asleep, the King or her father sent her body towards the middle of the forest to keep her in there. And I wasn't really sure if it was a prince who save her in the middle of the woods or a son of a duke but I'm a hundred percent sure it wasn't his kiss who woke her up. You see, her savior wasn't really a gentleman type of man. In fact I should say he's a little aggressive. He much more like- took advantage of her sleeping and raped her. Maybe, he fancy her too much that he lost all his dignity on himself. What a shame. He wasn't really a prince charming type wasn't he? Imagine a kindergarten student reading that; it would be a total disaster."

"Then?" Natsume asked in curiosity. He hasn't read that story. Hell. He never had time to read those stories.

"After nine months, she gave birth to a twin, and since the babies were so hungry, one of them sucked on her finger, which took off the effect of the flax that was keeping her in her coma like sleeping state… So she woke up finding two cute little babies with her as the mother… and shortly the prince came back hoping to see her again, or probably abuse her again but find out he had just been a father. End of story."

"Question." He said giving her another side way glance.

"What?" Mikan asked, paying full attention to her companion, they may be a few kilometers away now, she can see a familiar building from the side of her sight.

"All in when she's asleep?"

"I think so." and there was another silence, but this time the two of them paid better attention to their surroundings, they are nearing the city now, and they knew they'd be out for good.

"Oh! There's a shortcut in that corner. It's still early; you can just drop me here." Making him push on the brake pedal. It was near the school ground, and there are still a lot of people in it, it seems safe for her to walk into.

"Tell grandpa I'd see him soon." She said as she unlocked her seat belt. "And thanks for the ride too." She said as she took grab of her purse and got off the car, tapping on the car window, waving her hands to say goodbye.

And she left him in the car smirking with her sticky note pasted on the car window. A chibi drawing of someone who looked like her with a note saying:

SMILE MORE MR. HYUUGA =)

-Mikan S.

AN: credits to Yane,. (thanks a lot mate)


	3. The False Prince and the True

Chapter 3 Part 1 The False Prince and the True

He finds Tuesdays extremely dull, contrary to the fact that it was usually the busiest day in his schedule. He had just finished his meeting with Mr. Fuji when Anna brought in more papers for him to sign into. He stared with the uppermost paper, it was a proposal for the next model of their company's new product, and he left it unsigned. Instead, he sat comfortably in his chair and stared blankly on his pen. A smirked form in his face as he remembered the conversation he had with a certain brunet 10 days ago. A crazy though came into his mind. He pressed on his speaker phone connecting him to his secretary.

"Meetings this morning?" he asked as he took off his coat and loosens up his tie and tried to pile some of his files.

"Mr. Soh would be up in about an hour. After that Mr. Inu would be up for your afternoon lunch. They'd be here for the expansion in our western branch."

"Hold all my calls, and ring me up when Mr. Soh arrived in the building." And he came out in his office, now walking towards his secretary who's unaware of his nearing presence.

"But sir, Ms. Luna is expected to take the photo-shoot in our lobby a few minutes from now." The pink haired girl said loud enough for him to hear. He was expected to be there, but he's the boss. He can do what he wants.

"Good to be out then-" he said as he passed by. He headed straight towards the elevator and pushed on the ground button in haste. It was funny how people tried to avoid him like plague. Whenever the elevator opens up for them to get into. Once they saw he's in it, they'd just greet and move towards the next elevator.

He doesn't know what's on his mind that pulled him outside, but he still went walking with his shades on. He didn't even bother glancing on the ongoing commotion in the lobby as he passed by on it. They stare. He didn't care.

Meanwhile, she's seriously thinking of having a new magazine rack in place of the old red one they had been using for years. And she's convincing herself she had been staring at it for that reason and not because she's intrigued of why Luna Koizumi is on the headline with a certain name lingering above it.

The door chimes ring, and he was in. she curiously peeked on the door and give a gasp when she saw a familiar figure slowly making his way near her. He was wearing a long sleeve shirt with a loosened tie and black pants. She wondered how he could still look cool wearing clothes in that manner when she always thought guys are supposed to look like gangster when they do that.

"Alone?" he asked as he folded his sleeves. That lightens up her mood after her friend left her 15 minutes ago.

"Nope." She said, but he looked around for someone "well yes, I'm alone for a while but Nonoko would be back in a few minutes, she's just delivering the broadsheets in the nearby school."

He walked further inside and pretended to watch the shelves, the store is filled with books, though the center part were filled with school supplies, they had book replicas hanging everywhere, he thought they were the best sellers but not. They were her favorite.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. She welcomed him with a nod, though didn't speak of her usual welcoming speech since she knew it wouldn't please him, so why bother doing it.

"A discounted sign pen" he answered.

"Seriously?" she smiled her very bright smile towards him and walks towards the hanging calendar. She marked that day's date for the possible delivery of suppliers.

He smirked at her as he said, "You're the one who offered it."

"Well I never knew you'd take it seriously." She answered back.

She went near the counter and selects 2 sign pens from the pencil holder they had been using as display tools. She temporarily lost balance for a moment, but had been able to grasp on the counter table before she totally fall. She always had luck with her.

She hove it in his face and said,"99 cents please."

He suddenly drew attention at the price board beside the pencil holders, it wrote 99 cents each. He gave her an odd look and asked.

"No discount?" he mumbled unintelligibly and then paid consideration in the sealed cap of the pen, it looks just like an ordinary pen, but for him, it seems different, something new to look at.

"Nope." She said while smiling. He looked at her questionably. "But I'd sorta give you one for free." And she handled 2 pens at him. "The black one is for grandpa and he red one is yours. Don't worry it has black ink inside."

She then walked near the bookmark section. And got a cute paper bag for the pen he's holding. It has The Pages written with purple ink, the borders were designed with dotted markings looking like a bunch of differently colored flowers.

"Could you give that to grandpa tonight?" she asked as she successfully took hold of the pens without touching his skin, hurriedly wrapped it inside the paper and then handled them again back to the raven haired lad.

"I'd stay in my flat tonight." He said, as he reopened the wrapping, it pissed her a little. But curiosity acted more. He didn't bother coming home for a day now since he knew the old man is recovering really fast, and he need time alone to think. He was pulled in his thoughts when she asked,

"You have a place near here?" her eyes showing her amusement, she always thought he loved driving miles away from his work just to go home. He grunts in response, he didn't bother giving her more details, he thinks it's unnecessary.

He took the red one out and said, "I'd take the black one." He carefully wrapped the other one back in the paper, and tried to give it back to her. He inserted a bill inside the wrapping, but she never noticed it.

"But the red one matches your persona." he gave her another questioning look and waited for her to continue "if you haven't notice…. your eyes are red." She explained as she pointed to his face.

"Sappy" he countered.

"Well at least I'm not the one in the headlines for dating Luna Koizumi." She smiled jokingly at him as she pulled out the first magazine in the rack and displayed it in his face. He should have known she was a quite a sadist. The headline shows a picture of Koizumi Luna on it from her latest shoes advertisement and his name on the headline. It says: MUST KNOW; MULTI MILLIONAIRE NATSUME HYUUGA, DATING THE SUPER STAR?

"Never knew I dated her." He said coolly, he then proceeds walking around the shop. A lot of girls were linked at him before; it was huge mystery his secretary whom he always communicates with was never in it when models and actresses whom he never even talked with were linked to him.

"But this one is a lie. Why can't you act normally" she said tailing him around.

"Normally?" he asked.

"Like… be mad?.. Come on,! It says that the 2 of you were seen at the mall the night I was reading Sleeping Beauty for your Grandpa."

"It's a common thing in my world. She'd be endorsing my company." He stopped in front if the children's fairy tale book section.

"What's next?" he asked. She frowned for a few second as she deliberately though for a while before she replied back;

"You mean the next story for me to tell?" and she looked down to her feet thinking.

"Hn." He took a side way look at the brunet beside him and tugged on her hair.

"Aww!" she exclaimed as she tried to fix her now disarranged pigtails. She threw him her death glare and stare at him in disbelief.

"What are you? 10?" he asked teasingly. Not only because of her hair, had she also happened to wear a polka dotted shirt. What a design for a lady? It looks cute on her though.

"Shut up!" she screamed in protest. So what if she like to tie her hair in pigtails, not that world war III would break out if she's got a grader's hair style fixed on her.

After seriously thinking for a couple of minutes, she finally answered, "I'd be reading The Pied Piper."

"About?" he asked curiously, 'cause behind everyone's knowledge is that Natsume Hyuuga's hidden weakness was the fact that he was never fond of reading fairy tales, though he heard some of them before from his homeschool teacher.

"A mushroom" she answered jokingly.

He looked at her like she's a disabled kid. But instead of pity, he looked at her with disgust.

She laughed lightly at him and said, "of course it's about a Piper,. Pretty obvious Hyuuga."

He let it pass and brought his attention towards the book in front of him. Then he holds on it, a green hardbound book, and raised it near her face with a questioning look.

"Ah! That's the False Prince and the True,.." she took hold of a pen that looks like a fairy wand that used to be in display and continued, "I'd tell you the story… I think it's in the Hallow Rose too…. -Once there was a king from a huge kingdom who received a word that his only son, or should I say the 'prince' had said harsh words over a tennis match to a gentleman and had argued until the he, the young man, struck the prince out of anger. But ironically, the prince who was armed by then had not even fought back. Instead, he went to a corner and cried. The king was dissatisfied with his son's behavior, he was too coward. But his majesty still commanded that the young man who struck the prince sent to the trial court for having attacked the sole heir to the throne…. Mind you, the king had given him freedom to go anywhere in the city with the kingdom… guard less, for the next fourteen days until his trial be heard ."

"Desperate to live, the young man tried to get advice. To his family, his friend and his colleagues, but no one from them could tell him what to do and escape his coming death. The night before his hearing, he saw an old woman,… 'bout nineties in age and told him she could save him if he would marry her. And as young as he is, he flatly said no to her offer,… but after rethinking what she said, he chased after the old lady and told her he would then marry her."

"He married her the same night?"

"Nope, but she made him swear to a priest and tell him what he need to say in front of the king." She answered as she sat on the wooden display table and continued;

"So when he went in the court the next day, the young man told the majesty about the queen's secret... Since the royal majesties can't have a child the queen took the son of a quarryman and pretended that he was a legitimate son of the king."

"The first prince." He said.

"Yeah. The false prince… Only the priest whom the queen confessed knew about this… wicked! Wasn't it?" she asked, but he didn't reply.

"After the queen passed away. The king met very beautiful woman in the woods and married her in clandestine leaving her a few gold tokens as the sign of his love... Then a rebellion occur and he went off to fight for his kingdom,.. when he came back, the girl was gone, not even a single note to be seen. So to make it shorter—"

Mikan paused as she waved her hands with the wand and continued;

"The king acknowledged him as the prince. The true prince. After he told him that he was actually the son of that beautiful lady and his majesty., the king, as curious as always, had asked him from where he knew the stories he had told the court. The young man then told his father about the old woman and his promise to marry her…. Even though he didn't want to marry her, the king told him that he should, 'cause that is what an honorable man would do. And the next moment, the wedding was held. The prince tried his very best to forget about his Ohh!- so old wife by hunting every single day…. But one night, he heard a noise in their place and dreadfully thought that sounds came from robbers, so e decided to peek into her room, and there he saw a beautiful young lady. It turns out that the old lady he married was actually a cursed young girl."

"Young but looks old." He commented.

"Yeah, a little like Benjamin Button. But I think she wasn't originally born old, just plainly cursed from a very young age… She was actually a lost princess; she stayed with her loyal servant in the middle of the forest…. Since she is kind hearted, she had been given a chance by a certain 'merlin' and lessen her curse effect. He said that the curse would break of, if a guy would marry her before she's 15. She actually has the story about the prince form the wizard himself, I think she's really lucky. "

She then faced the raven haired guy and asked, "Now do I look like a fairy? Like Tinkerbelle perhaps?" she asked as she took hold of the fairy wand and started swishing it like total idiot. And then she stopped.

For a few moments Mikan stared at him in disbelief as he smirked in his infamous way before asking her question; "Do you believe in fairies?" she tucked the loose hair on her face to give herself a better view of him, she waved the wand once more and purposely tap her head with it. The gesture made her look a thousand more innocent than how she previously does.

"Shut up." He answered as he looked the other way around. He didn't answer. Does he believe in fairies? It's a question he himself couldn't answer.

She gives off her trademark smile in to him and exclaimed, "Oh! Come on! Peter Pan said that every time a child says 'I don't believe in fairies there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead.' You should never say you don't belie-"but she was cut off by his ringing tone, she silently watched as he fished out his phone and answer it with his so ever monotonous voice.

"Umenomiya." He said

_'Her secretary may be?'_ She thought as he took another glance at the klutz beside him as he continued "Okay. Tell him I'd be there." And just like that, he was off the hook, no direct reply if he do believe in fairies, what a bummer.

He looked around the shop for the last time and said, "I'd pick you up on Friday. 2pm."He stared at her weirdly, she was still smiling creepily.

"Sure." she answered as he swiftly head towards the door tossing her the wrapped sign pen as he said.

"Idiot."

As soon as he was out, Mikan take a look on what is on her hands. There nestled a black sign pen,

_'He's the idiot, he did take the red one' _she smiled sweetly with herself and almost threw her heart out when the door flew open again.

"Nonoko?" she said as she clutch on her T-shirt out of relief.

"What? You thought I was your prince charming right?.. ayyiiee- too bad, I saw him riding a sedan car outside." She said pointing towards the glass door.

"He's not my prince charming." She said as a blush crept on her face. Watching as her friend from an Oh! Expression in her face.

_'Not my prince charming._' that thought haunted her until the moment she was riding with him towards the manor that Friday afternoon. He causally stopped over the shop and made her ride with him. Like always, he only spoke of few words.

It wasn't necessarily a silent trip. Since he had always been quiet, but she finds it pretty awkward and weird until she spoke up for a conversation. She randomly pick out a topic, remembering that inside her orange bag was a sonnet book, she decided to talk about Shakespeare.

She faced him sideways and asked, "So? Have you read Sonnet 18?" she waited patiently for his reply that for a certain moment she thought she'd never have. He said no words but he did answer.

He just gave her a grunt. He meant yes.

She then smiled in return and sat more comfortably in the car, facing the road. She noticed that they were going a little fast but paid less attention to it since it was still in the speed limit as she said, "I personally thought it's the best sonnet Shakespeare wrote."

He didn't move. He remained silent in driving as he questioned her new opinion.

"Because?"

"Nothing in particular—" she took a little pause and with her desperate male like voice she continued, " shall I compare you to a summers day though art more love—"

He took a quick look at her and said, "Thee."

"What?" she asked, grinning at him like a fool.

He smirked as he answered her, "Thee, not 'you. Way to prove it's your favorite. Idiot."

She opened her mouth and ecstatically and screamed, "Cool! So you really were listening!" With her loud voice that could still be possibly heard outside the car even if the windows were tightly closed.

"I did it in purpose, just checking if you really were listening."

And his smirked grew more in his face. He can't help it that being stuck with her is like being stuck with a standup comedian, she's too unpredictable, and her reactions were always priceless. Just like the next question that she threw him.

"So… Do you think he's gay?" she asked as she tried to braid her hair without looking at the mirror. She saw a tutorial of how to do that on YouTube a few days ago, she thought it would look good at her. And she was right

"Who?" he asked, though he knew who exactly she's referring to.

She blew some of her hair of her face and answered him, "Shakespeare?" it wasn't really a question but she meant it a little that way.

A frown came into his face, "Why do you say so?"

"He wrote sonnets for a man. I think he's gay" she then paused and pulled hair in her ribbons as she continued ,"or maybe he was someone like Hannah Montana who hide his popularity with an alias, or more like a pen name under William Shakespeare, but he was actually a she!"

"You're absurd. He married Anne Hathaway" He said as he took the next turn in the road. It was still early to be able to see that the roadsides were filled with century old acacia trees. He always finds them fascinating.

She took notice of the trees too, but she find it hard to see since the windows were heavily tinted, she decided to moved further with the Shakespearean topic, "No, seriously Hyuuga, I wrote a thesis about him in college."

"And?" he asked, though he finds her thesis rather amusing.

"Still not proven." She looked a little pissed off. She remembered how her how her colleague laughed at her paper when she saw her thesis title. In frustration, she dug her hand in her bag and pulled out her phone, she shook it a little and the light went on. She liked it that way, she thinks it's magic. Just like when she was a child_. 'everything that glows has magic on it.'_ that's what her Granny had said.

He peeked at what she was doing. Slightly interested on what had been able to shut out her loudness for a couple of minutes.

"That's?" he asked, though his eyes darted back towards the road.

"This is an IPhone." She then neared it in his face, too near actually for him to see even if he would be looking at her.

"It's like a phone. But has an 'I'." she said as she continued snickering. She found that joke really funny when Koko told her that. She frowned when he said;

"Funny." He said sarcastically.

Offended with his low tolerance with humor, she started questioning him again, "Can't you take simple jokes?"

"Not lame ones." He flatly answered as he drove further more towards the manor; it was a still a few kilometers away.

"Whatever!" she screamed as she sulked herself busy with her phone playing mind games that were supposed to be played by graders. It had always made her happy, as happy as having a giant lollipop for her to eat.

And she spends the rest of the drive in silence. At least it wasn't even a little bit _awkward_…..

A/N: sorry I cut it (this chapter) into 2 parts 'cause I think it's kinda long, and hopefully I'd be able to post the 2nd part sooner. Btw, big thanks to HoneyMist4 for recommending The False Prince and The True.

**Question: what's your favorite fairy tale?**


	4. The Pied Piper

Chapter 3 part 2 _The_ _Pied Piper._

Phone games are proven effective to tame her down. She made little noises, though most of them don't make sense, just mumblings from her mild reactions on what she is playing. She never really realized they were in the manor until he pulled over and shut the engine off. He went inside first, walking straight inside after handling on his car keys to their butler. He went directly on the living room where he was met by a blonde guy with a pretty lady beside him.

"Ruka." He said as he gave him a mock punch in his shoulder. He suddenly took a flight out of the country the day Natsume found the book.

"Sorry. An emergency came last week; I needed to go to London."

"An emergency-?" Natsume echoed as he looked towards the girl Ruka is standing beside. She looks decent in her dress, but Natsume can never be fooled of her innocent looks. She was his former classmate who happens to be the only daughter of the Imai clan. She is the Hotaru Imai.

"Shut up Hyuuga, or you'd see your Oh-so horrid pictures in the net before sunset." The girl said in an equally cold voice.

"Ehem." Mikan cleared her throat, she felt unnoticed anyway. The three people give her their attention in a matter of second.

"Oh! And I'm guessing from the chairman's description that you're Mikan. Nice to meet you, I'm Ruka, Ruka Nogi." He said as he shook her hands.

"Woaah!—you wrote the 'selection of the animals in the Saff—"

"Yes he did, and I'm Hotaru" the ice queen cut her statement as they shook their hands. A line ran in her mind, _'cute girls should always be friend together' _and smiles formed in her lips.

And she answered back, "Oh! And I'm Mikan." freeing her hand in the process.

"Mikan Sakura, the sunshine of Gakuen Alice. Heard 'bout you from my brother Subaru he works there."

She didn't reply for a few moments, she was starstrucked- "Wait,! You're Hotaru Imai? The one who invented the networking site ? Congratulations I heard it hit 600 million users last month."

"ye—" Hotaru started but she was cut off by Hyuuga when he said,

"Sakura. Grandpa's waiting."

"Oops got 'a go." And she waved her hands and leaps toward the stairs. The three people stood there watching her as she disappeared from their sights.

"Idiot." He murmured as he gave of his famous smirk. A blinding flash of a dslr camera lighten up. Typical of the Hotaru Imai. Where did that camera even come from?

It took her 1 hour, 46 minutes, and 12 seconds to finish her storytelling with grandpa. The old man had been recovering past since her last visit. That afternoon, he had come to sit in his wheelchair, and she learned he's having therapy to regain his capability to walk. As soon as she was through her grandpa moment she was back at his car. Off back towards the shop.

"You should have seen grandpa's expression with grandma's comment on the illustration he gave for the Pied piper."

He give her a questioning look that made her tell him what she saw.

"At first I thought he was paralyzed, but then, I realized he was ecstatic about it when he laughed loudly all of the sudden."

"The Pied Piper right?"

"Yeah. But I told him the original story; he was sort of bored with the common one."

"Retell it." he instructed as she looked at him in disbelief, he didn't sit with them while she read for grandpa and now he was asking him to retell the whole story.

"Why don't you read it by yourself?" she asked, faking her annoyance.

He gave her a glance and answered her. "Too long."

"And?" she added.

He smirked and said, "Your's summarized."

She sighed in return; he's invincible in throwing harsh words in conversation. She made a peek outside the window and said.

"It started in the town of Hamelin; the village was overrun by rats. The Mayor, desperate to get rid of the rats seeks the help of a man who's just by then is new in their place. I personally even think he was just a passerby who happens to hear about the pest news. He's a man wearing Pied clothing…. Pied, means a patch of colors…" she stated as she tore another memo sheet. This time, she folded it as a plane.

"He offers to get rid of the town's pest—its vermin, the rats, I mean... and the townsmen in return promised to pay him a huge amount of money just to get rid of them… so the man complied, he played his magical pipe and lead all the rats towards the Weser River. He literally draws all the rats out! But when he came for the payment, the people refused to pay him up. They were saying that it was an easy thing to do.. And that their promised amount wouldn't match of what he'd done." She then successfully flied the paper plane inside his car; he gave her his evil stare, which she brushed off optimistically.

"Since the villagers wouldn't pay up, Mr. Pied Piper- decided not just to rid Hamelin of rats, but also its children. 130 kids followed him to the river. It was a total tragedy." She took a pause and look at him

"But—Oh! One did survive in that version. A lame child didn't get to follow since he's very weak. But the rest vanished without a trace."

"How about the variations?" Natsume asked the brunet beside him.

She smiled and answered happily, "It was better for those who have happy ending tastes…. But it seemed unrealistic. You see, in the variation, Mr. Pied Piper brings back the children after he was paid off with a bigger amount. I was like…. Seriously? How could you drown and immerse children and keep them alive at the same time?"

"I thought you enjoy happy endings." He asked.

"Well…. I honestly don't know. Maybe, it's because I tend to like what's on the Hallow Rose."

And there was silence again, she busied herself, just mindlessly looking at her surrounding, and it reached the cars meter gauge.

"We're moving 180 khp? Are you trying to kill the two of us?" she screamed in protest. She was then well aware she's wearing her seatbelt, she double checked just in case. Lesson learned, when you're riding with Natsume, Buckle up.

He just smirked and said, "Coming from someone who doesn't drives"

"I do drive before." She said in contrary to him. He looked at her like she has 3 heads. Who was she trying to fool? Not to mention she was never a good liar.

"Okay…, but—you see, I stopped after successfully killing all my mother's orchid in her garden after I ran my car over our lawn." She shivered at that memory, it just seemed like yesterday for her. She forcefully gained her Plant Terminator forcefully in a matter of 3 minutes.

"Now that's more believable." She smiled when he said that, a familiar face flashing on her mind. She suddenly missed Yoichi. It was his trade mark line whenever she messes up.

"You sound like my brother." That's when she realized how she could bear sitting beside Natsume. It was because she was too used with Yoichi's presence. They were pretty similar, only Hyuuga is some kinda sort of worse.

"Polka dots have a brother. Interesting. Was he dumb too?" she rub her temple with the polka dot nickname but screamed with the word dumb.

"Of course not! Actually he's way to smart. That's my problem."

"So you agree you're dumb?" he joked, but she didn't notice. She was too occupied by the term 'dumb'.

"No!" she screamed at him, irritation written on her small face.

"Intriguing." He commented.

Getting pissed of really hard she pulled out a picture of her family. The one they had took before his brother left for college a year and a half ago. It was tucked safely behind her cards. It was something she treasured dearly with all her heart.

"This is my mom,….

My dad,…..

And my evil younger brother." she said each name while pointing on the person in the picture, not that he can clearly see it since he was driving.

"He's turning 21 this year, though I rarely see him since he had been in a boarding school." She bit her lip and hid her sadness with her fake smile.

"Where?" he asked, trying to see the picture clearly but failed miserably.

"Yale, and don't ask me about the course. I'd only feel worse." She need sympathy, a silent sympathy.

But even though he waited for her to continue on what she was about to say.

"You see. You're lucky you're an only child.." she shifted her position and rested her back more on the leather cover of the car's chair, "you never need to compete for attention, unlike like me." Paused as she slips on the picture back to her wallet and placing it inside her orange backpack.

"He's all better than me. First, he drives, and I don't. Second, he's academically bettter that I do. And third, he's 10 times more popular in his school days than I am." And she laughed a little. That made him took another glance at her.

She laughed harder and said, "But you know what the funny thing is, he said he was jealous of me 'cause mom and dad cares for me more than they do for him. As if he can see how anxious mom gets when he's out late, or how happy and proud they were—I mean, we were when he won that science championship 3 months ago."

"Yoichi?" Natsume asked

"You know my brother?" she asked in shock. How would that be possible.

"Never thought you were relatives." He didn't elaborate no more on the subject but it was his company who awarded that competition, they were looking for the next future inventors and Yoichi is one hell of a potential. He's a genius.

"But we're both Sakuras!... See that's what I mean. He's way too cool to be my brother, maybe I a m adopted."

She than faced him and asked, "How about you? How's your mom and dad?"

"They took a plane flight and never came back." His voice was smooth as silk, no traces of emotion spilled even a bit.

There was an eerie silence; that is the time she learned that it was a taboo topic. And she was very sorry for opening it up.

"Sorry." She whispered, he heard it and he knew that. But the damage was done.

He decided to lighten the mood a little as he said, "Don't feel bad." as he tapped on his car's dashboard. But she was still covered with guilt. She could feel her throat suddenly dried up. She was then very anxious of his expression. She desperately tried to change the topic. That is when she gets a glimpse of a 7 eleven store signage.

"Would you stop by that stall?" hoping to change the topic.

"The green one?" he asked as he give of a little frown. He hasn't been in there, though he had passed on it for no one knows how many times.

"Yeah." She said, smiling again.

And he pulled over the driveway. His cars head slightly slanted on the actual parking lane. Mikan let loose of her seatbelt and excitedly faced him.

"Come on! My treat." And she tapped on his shoulder. It felt weird for the two of them but they decided to pay no special attention in to it, stupid electric reaction. She then pouted a little as she thought he wouldn't come, but a few minutes more, he was holding on his car door's knob.

And the two of them went down. She was happy like hell.

He followed her silently as she made way towards the food section. He gave her a questioning look as she took hold of a plastic and a tong.

"We would have to make it, and then pay it in the counter." She then pulled out a cheese flavored sausage and stuck it in the bread.

"Weird." He mumbled, but watched as she got the second bread. He smirked as she almost dropped it in the floor. She sighed in relief when she saved it before it totally fall down.

As if sensing his entertainment, she asked him a favor, "Hold it for a while and….. What do you want to drink?" she asked her as he took hold of the sausages.

"Anything but soda." He answered; he was never really fond of sodas.

"How about water?" then she took a styro cup for gulps and filled it with Fanta. She had always been fond of the orange flavors, maybe because her name meant tangerines.

"I'm cool with it." he said as he watched her clutched with the soda in her hand and tried to open the see through fridge with one hand. She took a bluish bottled one. And slammed it close.

"Follow me." She then walked towards the lady in the counter, she stopped all of the sudden in front of the chocolate and biscuit containers making him almost clash into her.

"Oops! Sorry." She then desperately tried to grab a pack of pocky but failed miserably, Natsume took it for her since he has a free hand.

"Thanks, it's for Nonoko, I owed her a shift in the shop." She then continued her way towards the counter. There stood a cute blonde lady, ready to assist costumers.

"Hi, good evening sir, how can I help you?" The girl said as she bats her eyelashes towards the raven haired lad, and the auburn haired girl snickered a little as he tighten his grip on the sausages. No doubt the lady in the counter fancied him.

He placed the sausage sandwich on the counter and slipped his hands in his pocket. He glared at the brunet, who can't help grinning from the fact that the blonde lady was hitting on him.

"We'd like to take these." Mikan said as she smiled at the blonde girl and she punched the food code in the computer.

"Would you dine in or is it for take away?" The lady in the counter again asked towards Natsume. Mikan was supposed to say 'for dine in' but he beat her in response.

"Take away." He said in his deep man's voice as he glared at Mikan. The brunet could tell that the blonde lady in the counter's heart would have probably skipped a beat after he spoke.

"O-okay." She then wrapped the sausages and water bottle in a paper bag. She never saw the total amount of price. He threw bills on the lady and rudely said;

"Keep the change" and he was out of the stall. A scowl clearly written on his face. He was pissed off.

"Sorry about that, he just gets a little grumpy." She then imitated how Natsume scowl when he's pissed off. The little girl smiled as she answered Mikan,

"Sure." And the lady then smiled more.

She then carried the paper bag and ran towards the parking lot where the black Lamborghini was parked near the driveway. She saw him standing edgily beside it. She ran carelessly towards him tripping on a stone mildly, he wonder how she survived her entire life when she tends to attract accidents like a magnet.

"Hey! That was supposed to be my treat." She said as she steadied herself beside him

"Shut up." he answered her, she knew he wasn't over the blonde girl incident.

"Woah—chill mate." Mikan said and then pulled out a sausage on the paper bag she was holding; she then opened the mayo at ketchup and spread it on top of the sausage.

"Here." And he took it.

She waited for him to actually take a bite but he didn't. Instead, he stared at the sausage in the bread like it's something that would fight back when he bites on it.

"Take a bite." She commanded, pouting a little giving her a very cute look.

He didn't take a bite, instead he pulled out a part of the sandwich and munched it quietly. he acted like how a girly girl with eat a sausage.

"You suck." She said. Giving off her lovely giggles. She meant it as a joke, but he didn't take it like that. He glared at her in return.

"Sorry, it's just that,…. I have never seen someone eat it like you do." She took hold of the cars side mirror as she tried her very best to hold his laugher.

"Demonstrate." He ordered in return as he pointed towards the paper bag she's grasping into.

She then took grab of her bread and filled it with ketchup; she dumped the mayo elsewhere and took a deep bite on her sausage. Still with her mouth full, she said in a barely audible way.

"thhhiesssh hhowh yaaah eaat thish" she said as she covered her mouth and laughing some more. She was having fun doing that, and there was no doubt he did too.

"You've got to be kidding me." He said, and he did the one thing Mikan never thought he actually would.

"Yoouh shmiled!" she exclaimed. All humor clearly gone and amusement boosting out in her system.

"You're delusional. We better get going." She swallowed the food in her mouth in a hurry and took a huge gulp on her soda.

"But you did smiled!," she screamed at him. He just smirked at her in return. They were in their own private moment, no cars passing by, no stray cat lurking around the street, and no blonde girl hitting on him.

He opened his car's door and duck in, but before he actually get inside he said, "Get in the car or I'd leave you in here." And she smiled hugely, getting inside like an idiot.

And they had the ride of their life.

A/N: is not really a website, so don't bother trying it out in Google. The idea came from 3 idiots, it's a great movie.

**Question: what cake flavor do you like?**


	5. Hansel and Gretel

Chapter 4_ Part 1 Hansel and Gretel _

Mikan was seating in front of the children's book section with her auburn haired tied into low pigtails. She was holding on a recipe book she took mention in her last story telling trip with Grandpa. It was the secret recipe of her Grandma's red velvet cake. One of the cakes she used to bake back when she was in her younger age. She had promised Grandpa that she would bake with him 14 days ago. Nonoko was in the counter, watching her friend in concern.

"Achoo!" the brunet sneeze, common cold for the spring season.

The long blue haired girl slipped the bookmark on the page she is currently reading and said, "You know what Mikan, I think your prince charming won't come."

Sniffing in the process the hazel eyed girl looked at her and defensively said, "How many times do I tell you he's not my-"

Nonoko gave her a silly grin, giving her more of her teases but said, "Okay-then maybe your- ogre. But you know what? He is exactly 34 minutes late. I think maybe you should just take a rest."

A frown came on her face, "Ogre?" but a visible beam came to her face. The concept of the lad being called an ogre isn't just funny. It was hilarious.

"Yup. 'S.' like Shrek?" Nonoko answered out.

Mikan dodge back. "Nope, like 'R.' you are being ridiculous."

"He's still late." Even Nonoko knew he seemed the type who doesn't like waiting cause he doesn't let others wait.

"He's secretary sent me his note and it says, Friday. 4pm." She then drawn out her phone from her pocket and reread the massages, fat chance. It still says the same date.

"Or maybe" Nonoko paused as she continued, walking towards the young brunet and continued "He changed his mind… that he moved the story telling's date next week."

"But he would have at least called, or made his secretary notify me." It was a routine of him to give her a call on weird days or more like 'annoy her to death' when he's got nothing to do. It sure was funny how a simple 'polka dots' on her line could make her as red as a tomato.

It was sudden swing on the door that caught their attention. It wasn't who they are expecting to come in. Instead of a raven haired lad; a pink haired lady came into view. She was panting like she had just run a few rounds in the track field. She desperately tried to fix her hair with her fingers but quickly decided just to leave it as it is. It looked good that way anyway.

She then faced Nonoko, took a bow and said "I'm completely sorry for being late." The two ladies just stared at the new girl weirdly. They didn't remember ordering pizza anyway. Or receiving new stock offers.

Sensing their stares, she asked the question to Nonoko,"You're Mikan-chan aren't you?"

A giggle came from the blue haired girl as she pointed her pointer finger to the sitting brunet who was suffering from mild colds. A flick of details run in the new girls mind. she knew she made a drastic mistake of naming someone.

"I'm sorry; Oh!- I must have lost my mind in my way here; maybe I dropped it on the car." The pink haired girl joked lightly, they all laughed in unison.

"No it's alright, no hurt feelings" Nonoko said as she raised her hands and give the new girl a reassuring gesture. That new girl looked as pink as her hair is. She was never this messed up. She was usually the perfectionist type, but a series of unfortunate events made a radical change on scheduled appointments, it was a huge embarrassment in her part. As if the two ladies could have tell.

She moved towards the girl who she now knew is she here to formally meet and said, "My name is Anna Umenomiya, I'm Natsume Hyuuga-san's secretary. I was the one talking to you a couple of days ago."

"Nice to meet you! I'm Mikan, and this is my friend Nonoko." And the two of them shook their hands, as comfortable as it feels, it just seems like the two of them were goody old friends like the two of them knew each other for a very long time.

"It's really nice meeting you two." She then broke away her grasp on Mikan's hand and shook hands with Nonoko. They exchange happy smiles with each other, something relaxing coming up in the air.

"Wait—I almost forget why I went here. Hyuuga-san had gone to Paris six days ago, and he asked me to fetch you this afternoon but the foolish side of me got lost in the street."

"Achoo!.." she then sniffed and looked at Anna "wait—you mean he's out of country?"

"Yes, she is Sakura-san"

Mikan gave her a confused look, as far as she can remember, the guy had told him he's out of town for a little while, not half way across the world.

Anna had giggled a little; possibly sensing the brunet's initial response. She then pointed her finger on the door and said, "I think we should be going."

"oh yeah—" Mikan answered and faced her friend to bid goodbye "bye Nonoko."

"Bye Nonoko-san, and it's really nice meeting you today."

"Take care you too. Fiona!, remember to be back before 11, or Koko would be doomed."

"I'm not Fiona!." And she stepped out of the store.

They then walk towards the alley. That's where she saw the car of her life. She knew he's rich. But not to the extent that he asked his pretty secretary to fetch a story teller with a-

She sniffs as she exclaimed, "Woah! No wonder you get lost." They then get inside the 'fancy car.' A long white fancy car.

"It's the CEO's order." The pink haired girl said then fished out herqwerty phone and busied herself looking for the companies' transactions that she's handling. She is a true hardworking lady. Definitely one of the best.

'_CEO?' _Mikan wondered as she watched the lady beside her, now that she notice, she is wearing a very formal looking attire. Her pink hair was neatly brushed and comes pretty good on her light blue formal blouse.

"Grandpa?" she voiced out.

She shook her head a little and said, "No Sakura-san. It has been 4 years since Mr. Hyuuga Natsume had been the chief executive officer of the Hyuuga Corporation." she then give her a look tearing her gaze on her black phone.

Mikan's curiosity swelled, "Would that mean his old? Like 30 or 40 something." She was suddenly inquisitive of his age, for sure he doesn't look too old to be a CEO. She made a mental note to herself to Google him when she gets home, that would save her an effort on guessing facts about him. And that would probably lessen up the mysterious atmosphere he always have in him.

Then Anna hold her laugher and said "Of course not Sakura-san. Mr. Hyuuga had just turned 28 last November."

"Isn't he pretty young?" she questioned. She never really thought he was ruling the entire corporation since the articles around him features only their technological advances.

Anna shifted her seat and said in a lowly voice, "Well since, his father passed away at his young age. He was set to lead just after he finished schooling. Infact he's training has started even before finished all his degrees."

The brunet looked at Anna, and by the way she talked the brunet knew she knew him well enough. Enough to be able to spend her work hours with him. Him, who suffers emotional deficiency.

"Don't tell him that I asked you, but…." She took a pause and gave a slight glance at the driver before she continued '…Is he always really like that?"

"Pardon me Sakura-san, but you mean-?" Anna smiled toward the brunet.

Mikan shuddered at the thought of the raven haired lad. "Like…, mysterious, creepy… stoic… melancholic.. Solitary type of guy?"

"Oh.. That…" she then whispered in a very low voice that even the guy driving the car wouldn't hear. "Mr. Chairman had told me that Hyuuga-san has to grew up like that."

"You mean, the inverse of the smiley man?" her mind flashing back at the moment they were standing in front of 7 eleven. The image was a blur but one thing is crystal clear to her, he looked way better wearing that smile.

"Not exactly, he was born really quite and tame—too tame to be exact. He got that from his Grandma. Though he's attitude differs with the people whom he is with. Like how he talked to Nogi-san."

'_tame, what is he? A cat? A black cat?,.' _She thought_ 'Oh! At least he talks with someone, wait! he talks with Ruka.'_

"Is he gay..?" the brunet mindlessly uttered out.

Anna give off a laugh, attracting all attention in the car, the driver raised an eyebrow for the topic he can't relate into. "Not that I know him of Sakura-san-"

Mikan then butt in. "Oh please. Call me Mikan, it always feels like my Jinno-sensie is calling me for an embarrassing moment whenever you call me that." She shivered at the thought.

"Thanks Mikan-chan."

There was silence. The two of them just sat and stare outside the window. It was Anna who broke their comfortable stillness, still with the same man filling up their whispered communications. The lady with the pink hair remembered how her boss sat on the chair and play with his red pen, though he never really used it. She was thinking that the pen has a some sort of sentimental value since she saw the same looking pen with black cover in the chairman's office a few days ago. Even in doubt, her instinct is telling her the brunet was the reason behind the action.

"But he seemed more optimistic the past few days before he left." Anna added as she smiled on the brunet beside her. Mikan then turned to look at her in disbelief.

She remembered the mild quarrels she has with him and contradicted the lady beside her. "That's odd. Well, he still sounded the same in the phone. Still as bossy as ever."

"You know Mikan-san; after I met Hyuuga-san I had learned that some people were just born to be like that.-" she laughed a little and continued "You see, he has to be firm and strict of his every decision. His opinion has to make sense. He has to be a perfectionist for his every move could change people's lives."

'_Much more like an OCD patient'_ Mikan thought.

At the back of a bigger picture, many people didn't know anything about the secret projects the Hyuuga heir has been doing. He's just too darn secretive.

"Swear you'd never tell a soul, but. Sometimes... I do feel sympathy for all the pressure he carries at his shoulder. He may seem rude, bad and arrogant, but he has to be like that. Or people would take advantage of him."

"Advantage?" like what? Friends with benefits?

Anna shifted her position and said,"Believe me Mikan-chan. Natsume Hyuuga wasn't just a bratty spoiled billionaire…. Though sometimes he acts like one, but he's kind."

That sound wrong from Mikan's ear but Anna's words were definitely turning her head upside down. Kind, she better be kidding or that maybe, when she looks at the night sky she'd see two moons.

"Do you know he sent children he doesn't know to school? He set up organizations who feed the needy of edible food. That's actually the main reason why he even looked for the Hallow Rose he—"

And that nip her thick head.

She finished what the formal lady was saying with, "-He loved his grandfather that he searched for it, even though it would totally invalidate his total existence since that would mean Grandpa married someone he needed to marry."

"Exactly Mikan-chan. The chairman has been his dad all throughout his life,.. And if you, for example, would ever learn that your dad loved someone else aside from your mom, what would you feel? Would you even bother look for her?"

She considered it for a moment but then Mikan shook her head. It would be wrong for her to say yes, when she didn't make an effort to look for the old man herself, it was Natsume who should take all the credits.

"I wonder if he was hurting" guilty feeling sinking towards her feeling.

"Again, On the contrary think he was enjoying himself." Anna beamed brightly.

"By that, you mean?"

Anna smiled and reasoned out, "He sent the cake ingredients for the chairman this morning.,"

'_What's the connection?' _The brunet asked to herself but considered the far-flung place he is now.

"From Paris?"

Anna shook her head holding her laugher. She thinks of how he would send baking powders and spatulas overnight from half way around the world.

The pink haired girl explained "The mart sends them to the manor."

"Everything?" Mikan asked as she made a rundown of all the materials and ingredients that they'll need, form the flour to the eggs to the baking pans, and other stuffs.

Anna gave her a curious look and answered "From what I know.. Yes Mikan chan. I was the one who sent the orders and I followed the usual ingredients I use when I bake cakes. "

The last part lit Mikan's mood much better but the first part wasn't left unattended. "Then it's not him who set the event..." A disappointed look coming from her, but seconds later it was replaced with a silly beam. "Wait! You bake cakes?"

"Only when I have free times." Anna answered, and that would mean she bakes a lot. It was a habit of hers; it was her pass time even way back in her college years, in fact it was more like a passion.

"That's awesome I get to meet someone like you. It would be great if you could help Grandpa and me to bake a red velvet cake."

"Sure Mikan-san."

"Thanks." she excitedly murmured, planning exactly how to make it a lot greater.

When they reached on the manor, Mikan can't help notice it's beauty she often neglect for always being in a hurry. It was painted white, with columns supporting it like the old mansions in movies do. Elegance and beauty clearly expressed with each details carved on its walls. It stood at the end of a long road of driving from a sequence of massive acacia trees, the trees she tend to gaze while she's on his car on her way home. They headed on straight to the kitchen, where they met Grandpa instantly. They bid their happy thoughts about seeing it other and made the way on baking the red velvet cake.

Everything was set to order, except for the runny nose Mikan has. She covered her face with an orange mask in the process. Hoping to lessen the risk of transferring her miserable colds to her companions.

A funny question came to her mind. 'Have you ever entered a professional chef's kitchen set?' Well they have one. Everything was cool, from the flour, the butters, and the mixers up to the ovens. They were four of them; Grandpa, Mikan, Anna and the Hyuuga butler whom she knew was named Johan.

Fun was an understatement. She learned a lot of things in baking that day; she learned that Anna really is a good baker, and that if she'd ever think of resigning as Natsume Hyuuga's secretary, she would probably end up running a cake shop.

Mikan learned that a baker should always know the recipe, by heart. That the baker should always stir the butters and beat eggs for as long as the recipe says or the complete essence of it would be messed up.

They were interrupted by a voice from behind. "Grandpa."

All the four of them were startled as the intruder came into a better sight; it was Mikan who broke the hush. "I thought you'd be back tomorrow?"

He give her a glare and answered her back almost a second later "Can't I come home in my place?" though his eyes never left her orange mask. She knew it puzzled him.

"Not really." Mikan said as she pulled out one of the pan in the cabinet, she then give him her smile as she continued "Any way, we are baking red velvet cake."

The crimson eyed guy give a look around him, he caught a site of Anna beside his Grandpa and again started throwing insults to the brunet, "I can see you're trying to transfer you're idiocy to Anna."

Anna snickered at the back. Mikan didn't need to turn her head back to confirm that she did laughed.

"You…!" and he was turned back, only before he's totally gone that he said "ring me on my phone, I'd drive you home." And he walked towards the stairs, to be alone in his room. Of course he heard her when she shouted with her mask still on.

"Really?"

"Idiot." He muttered knowing that the clumsy girl didn't even hear him.

She looked a little more in the kitchen door but he really was gone. Mentally noting to give him a call when she'll leave. She murmured "That's weird."

But the three people with her comment no further. They just watch the brunet as she involuntarily smile and continued transferring the mixed ingredients towards the pan. After that, she went to the heated oven and placed it inside. She felt uneasy but then remembered something that she could do lighten up the atmosphere.

"Grandpa, why don't I read you a fairy tale?"

"That would be a great idea Mikan-chan. I'd have someone get the book upstairs." As if like hearing a hint, their butler came out of the room as the three of them sat looking at the now obviously hot oven. Anna took a glance towards the brunet and asks,

"What would you read Mikan-san?"

"Something about goody cakes.. And biscuits… and pastries..,"

"and an old wicked witch." The chairman continued.

Mikan tugged on her mask and yelled, "Yeah! Your got it right Grandpa."

The three of them then laughed in unison, their difference in voice pitches clearly defined as they waited for Mr. Johan to bring the book in the kitchen. After she took hold of the Hallow Rose, she opened it up in the illustrative page of Grandpa, it shows 2 children standing in front of a house that is built by chocolates,, biscuits, and candies, not to mention that it's gates were made of cute lollipop. Expression of awe was carved in Anna's face; she never knew the chairman was an artistic person, from before.

Mikan removed her mask and placed it beside her; she took a final sniff and started her story telling. It would be Hansel and Gretel.

"Once upon a time a poor woodcutter, who was then living in a small house, has 2 children named Hansel and Gretel… There comes the time that the whole town suffered from poverty, the selfish woodcutter's second wife set up a plan to get rid of the youngsters. She thought that sending the two children in the woods would save her and her husband of starving... The woodcutter, although it's against his will approved to his wife's inapt plan Hansel and Gretel who was then in their chamber.. or should I say room… have eavesdropped on their conversation….. When their parents were fast asleep on their bed, Hansel decided and come out the house to pick up stones, or if I'm not mistaken were white pebbles, with a full determination that he and Gretel will be able to live against the horrid plot."

Mikan grabbed on a napkin and wiped her nose with it. After that, she gave her listeners her stupid grin and continued with the story.

The following day, their stepmother prowls them into the woods with her desperate attempt to get rid of them. Little did she know, is that Hansel has this great mind which enables him to leave a trail of white pebbles which they used after she left the two of them in the forest. Their step mom rose with horror after she took a glance of the two of them in the front door the same after noon she thought they'd be gone... The next they she did it again. But that time Hansel and Gretel unluckily failed to gather more stones since they were locked up inside the house the whole night. Instead, he was forced to use pieces of bread to set a trail back home when their stepmother lurks them deeper into the forest.

After wandering aimlessly, the two of them happen to follow a white bird which leads them to a ginger bread house. Unknown to them, the one residing in there is a wicked witch who cooks children to eat. After promising Hansel and Gretel a nice comfy bed and delicious food to eat, the two of them agreed to join the old woman a blind old woman to be exact. They were completely fooled. The very next day, the wicked enchantress manes Hansel in a cage made of steel and made Gretel as her maid—wait, I mean more like… slave..

The witch always ask Gretel to feed Hansel to stuff him up.. So that he would be fat enough to be eaten., but Hansel cunningly hands the old lady a bone he found in the coop to make her think he is still so thin enough to be eaten. Since she has a very poor eyesight, I mean.. Blindness, she was mislead to the fact that Hansel is still too thin to eat, but in reality, he's not. In fact he has all the glory of eating good food.

Sooner later she got impatient and decided that she doesn't care even if he is still lean or fat. She made Gretel prepare the oven to cook Hansel, when she thought that she'd rather eat Gretel too than settle with only the small boy. She planned to have Gretel get too close in the oven and roast her alive too, but the young girl is good enough to figure out what the witch wants her to be. When the witch asked her to get closer to the stove, she pretended she doesn't get it. Exasperated by that, the witch demonstrated how she wanted Gretel to do and ended up being shoved inside the hot oven…. Obviously she died.

The happy part is that the siblings were able to be free. Not to mention they saw a pile of golden treasure at the place, they grabbed hands and pockets full and left to come home… when they saw their dad, their evil stepmom died of unknown reason. And they live happily ever after."

And she gave them her smile, which they replied equally.

"You didn't read the next part my dear." The chairman said looking at the brunet.

"Achoo! I thought you wouldn't remember." She answered back, trying to cover her nose with her small fingers.

Anna gave a weird look at the people beside her. she was lost in the part that the chairman said, Mikan wouldn't read on the 'story?'. It was then cleared up to her when the old man continued.

"I remember, I wrote the French version at the next page."

Mikan looked at him and remarked, "That's Very fascinating" Mikan said smiling. Remembering how she used to read it with her Grandma and taking another napkin from the holder.

Anna chirped in, "what do you mean Very fascinating."

"Well fascinating, meaning something captivating and charming and. Very, which means more than what is intended."

Anna smiled involuntarily, she sure knew how to pun, "I know what 'very fascinating' means—literally, but what I wonder is why?"

"Aaah. Cause in the original French version, The Lost Children. It wasn't an evil witch. Infact it was a devil-"

"no evil witch." She echoed

"yup, it goes around…. Wait!, The children, they had won over the devil as they tricked him. Like how Hansel and Gretel did. A little brutal for children to actually read."

"why Mikan-san?"

"you see, instead of an oven, the villains set up a sawhorse, and make one of the children bleed. The story flows with them tricking off the devils wife to get in the sawhorse for her to demonstrate just like the witch does.- they killed the devils wife."

"Would I like to know how?" Anna asked curiously, earning her an amused look from the chairman. He was well familiar with that story from before, it happens to be the story he tend to drew when he was still in his early years. And surely, he wasn't so fond of the later part.

"Clue: throat." Mikan said, pointing towards the cute box beside the pink haired girl. The napkin holder she was holding suffered napkin bankruptcy.

Anna grabbed on the tissue box and handled it to the brunet and said, "I think we better stick to the happy ending."

"As always." Mikan smiled. Filling out the spooky, feeling.

a/n: I know I uploaded this kinda late compared on how long it was written, sorry. It was stuck in my pad for weeks. But I never find time to finish typing because of school works, and school tabloid paper article. Btw, As for Hansel and Gretel, huge thanks—always, to papaya 12, same goes for sapphireangel09 for the red velvet cake.

Question: do you play any musical instrument?


	6. Rumpelstiltskin

_Chapter 4 Part 2 Rumpelstiltskin_

Mikan can tell you how running in the rain on a weekday could possibly be the best way to get a cold. A common cold, as simple as it may look still has its perks. Unlike serious health complications that can only be seen through various tests, when you've got a cold it seems like everyone in your vicinity could tell you have one, no way to hide the uneasiness you may have. And that is proven an effective way to make someone very anxious.

"Achoo!"

If that would have been the first time she would have sneezed inside his car it would be nonchalant, but doing it in a number that exceeds 15 would be enough to make him look at her nearly frozen to death body. "You're freezing." he said, trying to sound detached but someone like Ruka would have said he sounded—worried.

"No I'm not." She answered, as if telling that would make him believe her, when she herself is a hundred percent sure she'd probably suffer frostbite any minute, she never knew his car could be a mini Alaska when she's having colds.

"Stubborn." He murmured.

She threw him a dagger a look and spat back, "Don't speak like you aren't."

"How do you say so?" he asked defensively, feigning innocence drastically.

She took a good grasp of her now overly abused handkerchief and answered him in confidence, "Aren't you supposed to be infected—or suffering from jet lag? You're being pretty abnormal"

He gave of a smirk and inquired, "Why, afraid of me falling asleep while driving?"

She didn't answer, but she continued sniffing. She wasn't really concerned about him falling asleep while driving, though maybe it's a part of it. But it is just that she felt like she was being a burden making him drive late in the evening right after a more than a day long of plane flight. She started to feel anxious that maybe, he was just being forced to do what he do. To do the way he was supposed to act. One thing she learned from Anna, he could be a good professional actor, the way that he can be rude at the same time nice.

That was the thing his mother cared for her about. She tends to classify herself as a burden. Always a burden. Forever a burden. Yoichi has a theory about that, he believes that she happened to have that behavior since she had always been so keen about peoples hardship around her, she easily gets inflicted of others emotion and tend to vary her with them, she sees others hardships as much as she can't see hers.

"Where are we going?" she asked, seeing the two of them aren't in the same route they tend to go into. It was approximately 5 corners ahead of the right exit they were supposed to take. Hands down it was one of the uncommon route commoners like her takes.

"A coffee shop. Cause I can't bear to see my pet sniffing like she's sucks everything with her red nose."

"You've got a pet with you?" she blurted out, but sudden realization hit her "-Hey! I'm not your pet." And he grinned right her. And she just sat their smiling at him. She may be getting used to this.

"What? Not coming down?" he asked as he noticed her staring at him. Unusual for the common squabbles they always have, he made a note to check on whatever Umenomiya has told her on his absence. He shut the engine off and moves towards the shop with her running behind him.

They sat at the fair end of the stall, the reason why they are given a perfect view of the cars passing by in the highway. A cute lady with a spiky hair came down with a note pad in her hand. One word is enough to describe her. Graceful.

"Do I get the usual for you Mr. Hyuuga?" the she asked. She seemed nice, not to mention she was decent enough to please the two of them, the main reason Natsume was fond of this café shop. The staffs were no gossip girls, nor fan girls either. Just plain business.

"Hn." He replied. Clearly pleased of the idea of taking his coffee and awakening his drifting senses.

The spiky haired girl drew notes at the pad she was holding and asked the brunet sitting across the raven haired lad."For you ma'am?"

She started, "I'd like to have a citrus jui—"But she was cut off when he said;

"She'd have a coffee."

The spiky haired girl smiled and said, "Sure." As if she used to say the word 'sure' every minute. Then disappeared at the closest minute possible.

"But I like juice." Mikan commented lowly. But enough for the guy to hear, she was shut off when he just gave him his bummed look.

"When in Rome do what the Romans do." He quoted, and then he bit his lower lip unconsciously forming his usual smirk. How she wished she could place that in a bottle, millions of girl would probably buy his smirk if it would ever be sold at the market.

Mikan unconsciously tapped her fingers on the table thinking for a comeback answer, but she doesn't know if it was because of what Anna had told her in the car that made her ask him the next question.

"Aren't you getting tired of this?"

"Waiting for the coffee?" He quizzed, giving an unnoticeable frown.

"Nope." She returned, then tensing a little, move forward and waited for his next reply.

"What?" he asked.

She winced and exclaimed, "This story telling thing…..! And you having to fetch and send me home twice every month!"

He didn't answer for a moment. Instead, he leaned a little closer, equal enough to her former distance and said in a clear manly voice, "actually, I find it entertaining, like a stress vent."

He himself wasn't sure where his answer came from, it's like he blurted out the first thing that came into him mind. Like an ambush physiological test and he found his self being irrational for an unknown reason. Neither the two of them spoke. The lady came in with their coffees. The heaven thanks her.

"Here are your coffees Mr. Hyuuga." And the lady in the brown uniform placed their coffee cups on the table. She knew hers is the one with the cutely decorated biscuits around the saucer.

The pure black coffee made her remember. He hates sweets, and she found it kinda cute that he 'tasted' the Red Velvet cake she and his Grandpa baked. Of course he said he did it for the old man, not for the 'loud story teller' and his nice secretary. Still it was a big achievement.

"What are you staring at?" the sophisticated man across him asked.

But as weirdly as ever, she started. "Achoo!-" she took a pause and gave in "There was a miller who liked to boast about his daughter's skill, was in the habit of telling people that she could weave gild from straw.-" the quiet man gave him an odd look.

She took another sniff but she continued. "Unfortunately, the king had heard him up to his castle and took him at his word. He ordered the miller's daughter to his palace, saying that if what the old man is saying is true, then his daughter should be his queen. If not, then she would have to deal with death."

She then took a sip on her coffee and rubbed her hands together, feeling the warm her drink is giving off. As soon as she was thru, she continued.

"The young lady was then locked up in a huge room filled with straw which the king wanted her to turn into golden straws not before sunrise. She ended up crying a river in desperation, sobbing endlessly at the end corner of the room. A gnome then heard her from a distance; he presented to weave the straw into gold himself in return for the maiden's beautiful necklace.

The next day, as soon as the sun rose up, the king found the straws had been turned into woven gold,.. of course he wasn't contented, instead, he sent her the next night into a bigger room filled with a lot more straw. That time the gnome wove the straws into gold in exchange of girl's ring, again he was surprised to see it all the straws into gold. Then the third night came, but when the king asked for her to turn the biggest room in the castle filled with the largest amount of straw the maiden had no more jewelries left to give the gnome. As clever as the gnome is, he asked for the maiden's first born child. And with no other hope, the maiden had accepted the deal."

She took another pause and look at Natsume.

" so to cut it short, she became the kingdom's queen. And the firstborn who came a little later in her reign was the prince. On his birthday, the gnome again made his dramatic entrance. He asked the queen to handle him the baby, trying to make her pay at her stake. But the queen begged for a chance… to be with her only child."

"He took the child?" Natsume asked. As he rolled his thumb on his cups rim.

"Since he'd got a little heart, he still gave the queen a chance to- save the baby. He said, he would let go of the child is she could discover his name in three days. So she sent all her people to search about the name of the gnome. She was hopeless at the last night before her messenger came with a story. He said he saw a gnome who was singing around a bonfire. And he want this way;

Today do I bake, to-morrow I brew,

The day after that the queen's child comes in;

And oh! I am glad that nobody knew

That the name I am called is Rumpelstiltskin

Rumpelstiltskin…. That was the name, and so when the gnome came back. The queen was able to tell him what his name is."

"And the little man disappeared." He ended.

"Not really. The original author altered its ending, to make it more horrid. Rumpelstiltskin went mad that he deepened his right foot into the ground and then grabs tear his self into two. Obviously, he died."

He shifted his seat comfortably and said, "Pathetic."

"Misery loves company." She answered back, though it wasn't really necessary.

Ho looked at her blankly and added, "Coming from the girl who had never been alone."

She then gave him an insulted look and said, "Remember this Hyuuga, no matter how great you are, how intelligent you can be, how wealthy you may be. When it comes to emotion, you are still human, just like everybody else."

"You mean, like someone as stupid as you." He smirked. She wasn't pleased.

"I'm trying to be serious."

"So am I" he stated.

She sniffed and tried to look back, but not without telling him, "You're impossible"

"I'm tangible. That proves you're wrong."

And the half an hour silent coffee drinking contest began. No words spoken, very unlikely of the two of them. Not like the brunet could really stand the silence, she was genetically designed to be a puff box anyway.

"I told you, I should have gotten citrus juice, the coffee just made me feel colder." She complained, again seating at the front seat of his car. Natsume, a little pissed of her wining, not to mention guilty of her seemed to be worsened cold took another turn.

"Hey! The shop is that way! I can sue you for kidnapping now you know."

But instead of throwing her worthless answers, he came up with a cooler one. He said, "You talk too much"

"And you don't." she replied. But her response was thrown off with one her major- "Achoo!"

The location wasn't new to her, in fact it was just a few minutes' walk away from the shop, but getting inside it was a different thing. It was the closest high rise condominium in their place. The palace,- it was called. The car slid in its shade without a need for identification, guards knew his cars too well.

"Follow me." He said as he walked towards the censored controlled door. She gave her a suspicious look.

"I don't molest pigs." He assured.

Insulted, she exclaimed, "Ego maniac!- Achoo!" but walk with him anyway.

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12a,12b,14,15,16,17,18. TING!

And they were out in a cream colored hallway, turning left, she saw a door. As swiftly as possible, he unlocked the door and let her take a glimpse of his haven. The initial reaction was.

"Wicked!, your place would make mine look like a total- shit hole." She blurted out as she followed him inside, it was a studio type but a room, which she suspected is his bedroom was divided with a glass covered with a curtain. Everything in his place is detailed with red, white, but mainly black.

"That's new."

She was taken aback but recovered quickly as she asked, "Which one?"

"You cursing." He said, increasing the distance with the brunet as he moved towards the kitchen. It was simple that the one in the manor, but still a few times better than hers. How she wished she has that huge fridge in her place. He pulled out a can from the chiller and walked towards the brunet still gawking at the patterns carved at the walls.

"Here."

She watched at what he gave her, "An in-can lemon juice." she mumbled.

He just glared at her. He hated it when people state the obvious.

"Thanks." She said.

She made another look on the flat. Photo frames were lined in a low rise cabinet, she curiously walked towards it. They frames looked exactly the same, only one of it was a lot bigger than the others. It was placed at the center, attracting all of her attention to it.

The picture shows a very pretty black haired lady in red dress in the arms of a tall man wearing a suit. They were smiling with each other, and they looked very happy. But what actually caught her eyes is the baby the lady in red was holding as she sat with the handsome man beside her. She was holding a cute little boy wearing a polo shirt and black pants which made him look sophisticated even at a very young age.

"Are they your parents?"

He gave a nod. Though his face never gave a clue of what he really feels, there's still a probability he's losing it inside.

_'Sometimes talking to him feels like talking to a completely solid wall. ' _She concluded.

"How old are you in here?"

"2."

Her eyes then moved towards the other pictures, one with an older than 2 looking Natsume standing with a few adult people, whom she used to see in business magazines . "This one?" she asked.

"10" he answered. She took a minute to brush the image of her mind than she focused on the next one. He was younger in the photo, almost covered by the humongous instrument he was playing.

"You play the cello?" she asked excitedly. She suddenly straightened up and faced the raven haired lad and waited for his reply.

"Since 8." He answered, stepping a step back to give them a decent space, she was standing so close for him in a moment, but it was enough to make him take a step backward. A motion she never seemed to notice since she was always comfortable by his company.

"Cool." She said as she took another sniff. She remembered one of her cousin Mochu, he was infamous of their batch since he was really good at playing the violin. The thought made her said,"I bet your classmates adore you."

But he shot her a weird glance and mouthed. "I'm homeschooled."

"You're what?" she exclaimed in disbelief. Never in her entire life did she actually met someone who was homeschooled. Well at least, if not, he would be the first whom she actually known was homeschooled.

"Idiot." He said, as he moved towards his sofa, he gave a pull on his tie and gave her a quizzical look as she processed the word homeschooled in her simple minded head. She led on the sofa and asked him,

"How does that feel."

He crossed his feet and said. "Alone."

"Too bad, you missed a lot of wonderful people.", Mikan said as she threw him a melancholic look. She made a run-down of random thought of how she spent her childhood playing with her classmates and the idea made her sad of how the guy seating beside him survived his melancholic life.

_'but he has to be like that. Or people would take advantage of him.' as she remembered how Anna exactly said._

As if sensing her unease on the topic, he give off another statement, "Wonderful what? Fangirls?" That shot the brunet to another side of a brighter conversation.

"As if you would have been popular." She then made of the silly conclusion of how senseless her last statement was. Of course he would have been popular. She gave the room another round glance hoping to have another topic to elaborate about and unintentionally focused herself on the digital clock that hangs on his complex looking wall.

"Oh my! Is that the time?" it was 10:49 pm, and she then give him a mischievous grin.

Usually, when he came home in his flat, he wouldn't have to pull out his car from his spot until the next morning, but that night, he was begged by a certain brunet to drive her to her shop. Let's just say that the request did have an appeal towards him so he decided to comply. Within less than 17 minutes, they were standing at the front door of The Pages.

"I should ask for you to pay for my driving fee." He joshed. He stared at her for a few moments before she was able to answer.

"Then we're even with my story telling fee." She answered, throwing him her bright smile and waved her hands to bid him goodbye. She watched as he went straight back at his place, leaving only when his car looked as small as a pea in her sight. With a huge grin, she came inside and caught a glimpse of Nonoko pretending to read on a book. No sight of Koko in the shop. She suspected she was fooled, but seeing a red candy wrapper in the counter prove that he was probably here a couple of minutes ago.

Her grin turned brighter. But it evaporated severely when Nonoko started commenting or rather questioning about it.

"You two were flirting right?" she said as she playfully poked on Mikan's cheeks. They always find it essential whenever the two of them starts a teasing battle. Like magic, she was out beside her at a matter of seconds.

"Of course not!" she exclaimed defensively but she knew her looks were betraying what she just said. She shifted her poise and tried to look away. Too bad, that won't cover her hearing capability as Nonoko teased more of her.

She gave a chuckle and said, "Oh really? Then why are you as red as a tomato?"

She pointed on herself and said, "Look, not interested. besides, he's just like Yoichi."

"Ohh? So another, unsociable type of guy. Never mind, he's still watcha call it-aah! Charismatic,.. with intense pheromone."

Mikan said, " -Are you mad?" she joked, giving off a false British accent as she laughed, she finds Nonoko using the word charismatic pretty facetious. Then a frown formed on her face as she asked "Wait. Were you eavesdropping again?"

Nonoko smiled apologetically and said. "Uuhmn.. Maybe?"

And they laughed into each other.

_'Was I flirting with him?'_

A/n: thanks to hopelessly in love with you for Rumplestilskin. Again, this one is unedited. Sorry for grammatical errors. oh. And to: anon Jenny, hallowrose is actually from my pottermore acct., I was ecstatic about it that I made the 'book' named after it.

**Question: do you believe in magic?**


	7. Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Chapter 5 part 1 _Goldilocks and the Three Bears._

Planners were proven crucial, to have a perfect life. But in some cases, people tend to vary their activities on what they had written. Reason? For nobody really is perfect. So he just tugged on his bonnet and made his sweeping appearance.

He stumbled on his way inside the Pages as he greeted out, "yo! Mikan-chan!"

With a flick of his voice, the brunet automatically turned towards the voice and showed her blindingly bright smile, "Tsubasa-niichan!"

He fidget his jackets zipper as he gave an unsure look before he asked,"…are you busy today?"

"Not really, why?" Mikan answered as she piled on the pens in the display shelf.

"you see, 3 day s from now would be—"

She cut him off "Misaki-neechans's birthday." Her mind flew on how her oneechan used to spend her birthday, most commonly it turns out to be a party celebration with her friends and close relatives celebrates yearly.

"Exactly!.. And I kinda like to give her a gift but it seems to not an easy task to do." He said as he sent her a wink. She always knew he causes disaster with his choice of presents.

"Yeah I know… I remember you giving her flat tires last year." Tsubasa's face suddenly turned pale. Memories of how Misaki teases him with that is enough to make him remember how he has been the laughing stock of the gang, including the birthday celebrant herself.

He cleared his throat and explained, "On my defense, it's because she was driving with those unsafe old tire before. I just want to make sure she'd be driving around the city safely."

"still—how romantic." Mikan said, sarcastically. Smiling at him like an idiot. Which make him smile in return.

"I know." He answered back "So could you come with me?"

The brunet pretended to look at her invisible watch and said "maybe 30 minutes from now, I could."

He nod in response and asked, "Where's nonoko." He asked eagerly, the last time he talked with the raven haired girl was probably a month ago.

The brunet pointed on the unusually quiet girl reading beside her. She was barely noticeable with the books piled around the shelves. Too busy to even care. Too occupied with the book she was holding into.

"What's that?" he asked towards the brunet, curiously peeking on the cover but failed miserably. It was a maroon colored hardbound book. The one that looks so old that the sides were yellowish with age.

"A fairy tale I am to read a few days from now…. Goldilocks and the three bear." She said as she walked towards her bag and coat.

"Then what is she so busy about?" he asked, trying to figure out what can be very intimidating in such a story. Unlike his cousin Mikan, he never find time to read such thing, as a guy he used to spend the free time of his childhood with sports and other activities.

"Well…. she wouldn't accept the ending that I told her." Mikan answered, smiling though the tone of her voice suggest playfulness towards Nonoko.

"Let me guess... You told her the one written in the Hallow Rose right?" He accused the brunet.

She didn't answered to deny it, and instead she gave him an intriguing look and asked him, "You haven't read it don't you?" She remembered how he frankly told their grandmother how much he detested reading books.

"No intention Mikan. You know I was never up for those kinds of stories." And he gave her a pat on her head as he continued "wait, auntie told me you found the old man who wrote that book."

"More like they found me." She joked. That earned her an odd look from her companion.

"What do you mean..?"

She was about to answer but Nonoko butt in. "Mikan! I knew it. This story has two endings. But well—aside from the children version people commonly read." She then put down the book and dramatically said "I'm doomed."

"You're what?" Mikan asked. Looking at her girly friend as she stood and walk towards the brunet herself.

Nonoko then gave a look at Tsubasa and said. "No offense Tsubasa-senpai, but if you want to preserve the glory of your childhood. Don't listen to her Goldilocks."

"You mean the story?" Tsubasa asked grinning towards Nonoko. Somewhat he knew the brunet has this weird connection with the variations written in the old books.

"Absolutely." The raven haired girl answered. "Wait. Why are you here again? I swear I heard—_flat tires_—I mean gifts, when the two of you were talking."

"Come on people. Enough with the flat tires already" Tsubasa said looking defeated. His two companion gave him a pitiful look and decided to change the topic.

"How about, you kidnap this girl now and go straight to the mall…. Beside, its nearly lunch Sumire and Koko are probably on their way towards here." Nonoko suggested.

"You guys gonna eat together?" Mikan asked excitedly.

"Obviously?" Nonoko answered. That is the time the statement sank on Mikan's head.

"Without me?" she asked almost crying. She pasted her cute pleading look on her face.

Nonoko gave of a slight laugh and said, "That depends, if you could split yourself into half, then maybe you could eat with us."

She pouted thinking of what to say back. Words that never reached her tongue.

"Then tsubasa-niichan would have to treat me- ramen, and sushi, and shashimi, and takuyaki, and… and…" she spat back. Only to make her feel worse, she was dreading to eat with everyone together for days now.

"See, that's why Yoichi calls you glutton, that little brain of yours is filled with food." Tsubasa said as he then took one of the pamphlet displayed beside the counter, it featured a story telling session for the orphan students to be held a week from now.

"You see niichan. I am on a seafood diet. I eat everything I see." And the three of them laughed hard in unison.

Location: Hyacinth Mall Center.

The two of them are now standing in front of the Cuddly Friends Bear stall. It looks gigantic outside but the inside is crowded with different types and sizes of teddy bears.

"A bear- no wait, scratch that. When I told you she like a new friend, you'd tell me you'd give her a bear?"

"That's the plan." He said as he scratched on his head. He saw his reflection on the glass as well as the pink haired girl who passed by behind, he thought it was Misaki, but a professional clothe proved he was wrong. Besides, a lot of serious looking people walked beside her.

Mikan then stared at him in disbelief as she said, "And where exactly do you plan to keep that bear by the way?"

Tsubasa cleared his throat and said, "Correction Mikan-chan, it's a 'teddy' bear." And he then dragged the brunet inside the shop, they were greeted by a cute little lady who has a tag named 'YUMI' hanging on her uniform.

"okay—let me rephrase" she giggled a little as she repeated, "And where exactly do you plan to keep that _teddy_ bear by the way?" she said as she gave the cute lady a smile which she returned warmly.

"Well, I am planning of asking my very beautiful cousin to keep it at her place." He said, Mikan rundown the names of her cousins, as far as she can remember she is the only girl.

"Was that supposed to be me?" she asked as she then pulled on a ballerina looking teddy bear. It was dressed in pink and a bracelet poking on its neck. A normal girl would love it, but teddy bears wasn't her thing.

"If you classify yourself beautiful then… Yes." He answered back, laughing gently towards her.

"No—?I can't possibly take that with me in the party. That's too big to ride with in the subway." She exclaimed putting down the teddy bear and walking towards the display area.

"Then I'd pick you up." Tsubasa suggested as he made a silent motion for the sales lady to handle him three of the teddy bears in the hanging ladder display. The cute lady followed instantly.

"But I can't-." She tried to protest but she was cut off when he said

"Remember the time that your cat died and you asked help from-"

She hate it when he does that, it's unfair when people started to bring up the good deeds they do when they are in need of help, it would not leave you any choice but to help them without whining. That left Mikan with:

"Okay! I get it, no need to remind me about that."

"See. That's why you were always my favorite." He joked and continued "Now which one is better…. This one or this?"

"That's too brown. This one would be good." Mikan said as she tugged on a soft fury teddy bear on the main display section. Everyone who passes by the shop stall couldn't possibly awe how the bear looked like. Perfect gift for a perfect girlfriend. Perfect for Misaki Harada.

Why did the two of them ended up together? Tsubasa had always been the troublemaker of the school, while Misaki Harada was the voice and beauty of everyone in it. She had been the school council president since her 2nd year, which is very unlikely for a very young age. Since she entered the school she never failed to impress and inspire others who were always over shadowed by the school's kings and queens. And Tsubasa, being the previously rebel type one, was lovestrucked at first sight, and his lucky head seems to catch her attention in return. They tend to bicker, and it was always a wonder how the two of them made 6 years of dating look so happy.

The sales lady helped them wrap the present, of course by the size and cover of it, there was no doubt it was a teddy bear. People outside the store tend to gaze inside as they noticed the infamous teddy bear being pulled out in the display section.

"Why are they a lot of people?" Mikan asked as she now noticed how many people were outside the stall, as far as she can remember the even center was always the rarest place to be filled with people.

"Aaah,…. the HC is launching their phone advertisement today." Tsubasa casually said. Trying his best to take a good hold on the package on his hand. Mikan get a grip on her back pack.

"HC?" she nearly shouted.

"Hyuuga Corp.?" he explained. As if somebody haven't heard of what HC stand for.

"I know what HC means!" she replied. But her mind was calculating the possibility that she could bump with a certain raven haired guy right at that moment.

"So? What's the fuss?" Tsubasa inquired as he gave a worried look on the brunet standing beside her.

"Nothing!" she said turning slightly pink.

"Well, as far as I know. They would have the public launching here Hyacinth with their new model Luna Koizumi. Now I can see my food." He said as he then walked towards the exit. And the two of them walked towards the gangs favorite food stall.

_Unknown known to them is a pair of crimson orbs watching their every move. _

The two of them walked towards the ramen shop as they tried their very best to move freely from the mob crowding the event center. They slowly made their way towards the ramen shop and luckily find vacant seats for them to enjoy their favourite dish-es.

"That bear is really huge." She quoted as they realize how carrying a humongous bear could attract everyone's attention.

"Teddy bear." He inserted as he smiled involuntarily towards the brunet.

"Okay. This teddy bear is really.. really-! Huge!" she exclaimed as she sat the bear on the chair beside her. She gave a pat on its ears and said "Maybe this is mama bear."

"Mama Bear?" He echoed.

"Mama bear. You know… the mother bear in the three bears."

"The one with the girl named goldilocks?" he tried to remember what Nonoko said about that story that morning but he couldn't.

"Yup." She answered smiling idiotically right at him.

"Why say so?" he inquired.

"Cause in the three bear, there is only one girl."

"No wonder Nonoko's world was turned upside down. I wonder how she was coping with the story. What did you told her anyway."

"So there was a cute looking girl named Goldilocks, Gold probably comes from the color of her hair itself. Then she happened to find a cool looking house and she sneaks inside to enjoy the owner of the house's foods, seats and beds, who happens to be bears. So, when the 3 bears came home they found her sleeping in little bears original tale shares 2 possibel ending. It's either… First, being realistic as how bears would really react, they rip her apart and eat her." she took a halt in the story and gave her attention to the lady beside them.

Tsubasa smiled and told the lady,"We'd take a big bowl of ramen, a chicken teriyaki bentou and 2 sets of takuyaki." Tsubasa said towards the lady collecting their food selection.

"And strawberry milk shake please." She added, as soon as the lady was out of sight they continued their story telling.

"Second, Goldilocks happened to be an old lady. And like the common version, she jumps out of a window and the bears help her by waking her up and sending her to a place they call 'house of correction."

And the lady came with their food on the tray, she carefully place it on the table. The two of them hurriedly opened their chopsticks and said "itadaikimasu!" in unison.

"Was she wrong?" Tsubasa asked, trying to preserve the previous conversation they were having. They were pretty unaware of their surroundings, pretty engrossed on their chat that give them not even a hint of someone coming near them.

"Sort of.. But you see, I think she read that in the 1837 version, what I told her really did happe-"

"Sakura." A formal voice cut her out. She wouldn't have to turn around to know whom the voice came from. A warm flush suddenly came on her sense as she remembered the exact line Nonoko told her the last time she hear the same manly voice.

"_You two were flirting right?" _it rang loudly in her mind.

It took her a few seconds to make herself look in the tall figure beside him, as she said, "Mr. Hyuuga." Desperately falsing excitement despite that fact that butterflies where flying in her stomach.

"Fancy meeting you here." He said though he was looking straightly at Tsubasa who was then about to throw out what he was eating in realization of who is the guy interrupting their mini story telling session.

"Yeah… Oh! This is Tsubasa-nii, Tsubasa-nii, this is Hyuuga san." She said, gesturing a 'nice to meet you sign' on the two of them. The air suddenly felt awkward. She could easily guess, he thought it was date, especially when a huge near was seating in between the looking close couple—who actually happens to be relatives.

He shook hand with Tsubasa and tilt his head in acknowledgement. He then gave her a formal look and murmured in very low voice, "I just pass by to remind you. Sunday. 1 pm."

"sure." and with that he walked away. Leaving Mikan and Tsubasa blankly staring at his direction. She wasn't sure but she swear she saw him gave her cousin death glare. That was rude in his part. But her companion seems to not pay even a bit attention to it.

"you know the Natsume Hyuuga!" Tsubasa exclaimed as he got into his senses.

Mikan scowled a little and answered, "If you are referring to the arrogant annoying guy who just left, I guess I'd have to say yes."

"Why. Didn't. You. Tell. Me?" Tsubasa asked, exaggerating every word to give emphasis on his shock. Mikan swallowed on the takuyaki she was munching and said.

"First. You never ask." She tap on her shake's straw and sip alittle before she continued.

"Second. I find it absolutely unnecessary."

"Unnecessary? You know how Tono and I love his companies' tablet, and console, and now, their phones..—and what's with Sunday? Don't tell me you'd dump Misaki's birthday party for a date with Hyuuga?"

"It's not a date! And of course I'd go to the party!" she hushed. Turning as pink as what she was drinking.

Tsubasa straightened his seat and said, "Then care to tell me why someone like him would come around a rundown place like this just to 'greet' you up."

"He said- he happens to pass by. Not, intentionally of course." She said in defense, even she wouldn't buy what she was saying.

"Why can't I believe that?" he asked.

"Cause maybe, even I myself don't." she whispered.

Tsubasa cleared his throat and said, "Mikan, I work as a game producer, he created machines that play my games. Do you think I didn't research about him? I read articles and forums about him; I even read that he never drinks coffee apart from Starbucks."

"No he don't! but he only drink black coffee."

"huh?" he asked as he look at her blankly. He can easily solve the puzzle now. He could bet hundreds of dollars in his secret assumption.

Mikan herself couldn't even believe on what she said, she tried to clear it out but lost it. "I mean- why did I say that again?- Okay, you see… He's the grandson of the men who wrote Hallow rose."

"You mean, the CEO of HC is the grandson of Granny's ex?" he asked. That isn't what he expected her to say, but a change of topic boost his curiosity.

"Yessh." She answered.

He smiled as he pushed the topic further to the edge, "And how does that fact correlate with you knowing his preference in coffee?"

"I don't know?" she said, more likely to herself than her companion.

"I know why?" he said, he then gave her a foolish grin. "Why don't you asked him to come in Misaki's birthday, for sure he has car. That way you wouldn't have to ride the subway either."

"I can't." She insisted, covering her face with the napkin beside the vase in the center of the table.

"Yes you could. For sure our Auntie and the rest would be glad to meet him… as the grandson of the writer of Hallow Rose." He said, dropping a barely hearable comment at the end.

"_if that is what he only is for you."_

a/n: lol.

**Q: what's your favorite fruit?**


	8. The Little Mermaid

Chapter 5 part 2 The Little Mermaid

Have you ever been in a library with a very strict librarian? The type that even a pencil dropped on the floor could caught every one's attention. Well that seemed to be the same scenario Mikan was in as soon as she, with the wrapped bear, jumped on his car. He didn't asked any question, nor bid her any greeting.

Just too silent. Just like the silent library.

"Hey." She said, a little too soft compared with her usual loud voice. She was trying to fit in the scene, trying to be mature enough and be a good companion to the seating beside her.

But there was no response, not even a grunt.

"okay, I know you are in a bad mood… which is fairly out of my business but… Do you remember the guy whom I introduced you with, 3 days ago?"

Still there was no response. But a good observation from her would have tipped his growing annoyance for the said topic.

"Well I happen to tell him about you and the hallow rose and he was very fasci—"

"You what?" He whispered in disbelief.

"If you are mad about that, well I'm sorry…. I never knew that fact was exclusive." Guilt written all over her face, she never thought about the consequences of her action, not even the possibility that the guy beside her would ever want a visible contact with her, the idea itself made her down.

He wasn't really concern about that even a slight bit, but decided to reason out in retaliation.

"To a stranger, way to go Sakura."

"What!" she exclaimed she tried to fully face him but the seatbelt was tight enough to stop her as she continue, "you thought my cousin was a stranger?" her statement bounced in the every corner of the car as she gave an amused grin.

His mind flew on how she happened to be related to renowned people when she herself locks herself in a book store.

"The master of the gaming world. Your cousin." He stated, not even a question to begin with. But her picky ears got it.

"What exactly do you mean?- For your information, we are related in the sense that my daddy happens to be his mom's younger brother. Genetically concluding that I, Mikan Sakura, am his legitimate cousin." she said feeling extra brainy with her choice of the word 'genetically' in a sentence.

She shut her mouth for a minute before she calmly said, "But—I admit. I am surprise you knew him."

"Umenomiya knew him from work." he lied. Of course, there is a very slight chance Anna would have known him from work. But Mikan wasn't keen enough to think of that, she happened to be a shallow person who believes people whom she trusts. And that made him a bit mortified.

"Aahh…. good for him then. By the way, so his girlfriend is celebrating her birthday today."

"So?" he asked. Perfectly masking his curiosity with a false uninterested act.

She thinks of a way how to ask if he wanted to come so she diverted the story towards the bear. "That is what the teddy bear is for. If you happen to wonder."

"And?" he said.

"A-a-and?.."

And there was the awkward silence again. Or at least for her. Her companion seemed to be in a better mood than ever. The change in his aura would have pleased her if and only if she wasn't in that humiliating part that he might say 'no' to her invitation.

"Well, it was traditional for everyone close to her, including my family and other relatives to be there, it always turned out as a family and friends reunion than a birthday family celebration. And Tsubasa-nii had been bugging me to ask you to come."

"Because?"

'_Reason?'_ she thought, but even she herself doesn't really know. Nothing was clear in their last conversation, she was way to confused when it involved the guy infront of her.

"Apparently—cause he knew you were the grandson of Grandpa."

And he sighed. More like a relief sigh. But she seemed to misinterpret it. She thought that it was actually an act of disapproval and the like.

"I know you aren't in the mood, and is too busy to come, so—I believe that they can understand if you decided not to come. Besides, I know you hate crowds and you probably don't know anyone in there so you could just think I never asked you to co—"

"I'd come." Her heart skipped a beat. But that didn't stop her from giving him reason why he shouldn't come.

"But her place is really far, and the road's bumpy—"

"My car tanks full." He said as he turns around the corner, the mansion looking close straight ahead.

"But.. you're wearing a business suit." She then gave his loosen tie an odd look. She can't just imagine him seating in a chair surrounded by the gang. One word from them could make her his laughing stock forever. And she doesn't want to embarrass herself, especially to him.

"I can change." He murmured.

"But—"she paused for a few seconds before she said "Okay."

And she gave him the smile that she showed him the very first time they met inside the Pages. A smile enough to shake his complicated world back in motion.

"Grandpa!" she shouted as soon as she get the sight of the old man seating in his blue high back chair in his room. The Hallow rose lying on top of the tea table.

"Mikan-chan! You look lovely today." The old man greeted in return.

"And so are you!" she replied.

"Still a flatterer my dear. But you seemed pretty hyped up." the old man then gave a look on the surrounding, it's a wonder why his Grandson seemed to have a plan on joining their storytelling time today.

"Excited I can say! You see, I'm gonna attend my cousin's girlfriend's birthday party." She happily answered. Her companions seeing how she loved the idea of attending that party.

"Thant's lovely!" the old man replied, Mikan then thought of a bright idea.

"I know, and maybe you should go with us. Right?" she said giving Natsume an assuring glance. But the old man seems too get the look his Grandson was throwing. He knew the young man too well to know his intention. He wasn't his protégé for no reason.

The old man gave her a warm smile as he said, "No need Mikan chan. Natsume's presence is enough for my part."

"But it would be fun!" she countered.

"And so is your story telling." And the subject was left alone.

She was in the car when he finally changed his clothe. It was a simple V-neck shirt. But there was nothing really simple in the way he wore it. She wondered if there really is a need to hire people for his companies' advertisement when he himself could have made it to be a model.

"So what do you have in mind?" he asked, knowing nothing about the celebrant makes him clueless on what to buy as a present. The question caught her off guard.

"Red suits you better than black." She answered mindlessly. Still ogling at him.

"What?" he asked, actually pleased in the fact that she, whom he thought was immune into his charms, was actually capable of realizing how utterly attractive he is. But it was a shame on her part.

"No. I mean—what's the question again?" realizing that she had just voiced out her moronic side.

"What do you want to give for your nee-chan?" he repeated. Smirking all the way. He usually didn't like repeating his words, but he found this case pretty entertaining to do so.

She pretended to look engaged on her views of what to give her. Mikan's thoughts automatically flew with the sign of the nearing corner.

"A snow globe. See that signage, a few meters away from that you could see a pink shop."

He tried to recall the stores he passed by in there whenever he visited his friend Shiki in there. "The one with fluffy chairs in display?"

"Yes. It's a princess store." She then took her bag and started pulling on its strap to flung it on her shoulders.

He gave her a quick peek, just to guage her reaction and stated, "Never knew you were the princess type."

"Cause I wasn't, but my brother is the prince type, so whether I liked it or not. I usually come here." She reasoned out as he parked the car in front of the store.

"I'd wait for you in here." And he leveled himself in the leather seat of his car. His fingers ran in his hair as he wondered what could possibly be inside of that store. It looked too girly for a man to fit inside, but he knew that a word from his companion could make him go.

"Nope. You would come with me. I wanna show you what's inside." There was something in that shop that she could always relate with Natsume, she thought it would just be right if he would be able to see it. For a moment she thought he wouldn't come, she wasn't practically aware of her unspoken power over the boy.

"Whatever." He answered as the two of them went off the car and strode towards the cottony looking door.

There was pink everywhere, even the wallpapers were colored pink. Fluffy designs filled the display stands, from accessories, to clothing and toys. There was an old woman sitting in the cashier area, unlikely of the princess types she was selling, simplicity was sketch in her being. She was the only simple thing in that shop. Mikan lead him towards the snow globes.

"This would be perfect."

She was holding a perfectly designed snow globe with a castle inside, she turned on a switch at its bottom part and it plays orgel sound. She shook it a little and the snow like particles covered the inside. White every where. She holds into it tightly and showed it to her muted companion. She walked towards the doll section, With the raven haired guy tailing behind her.

There rested a male ball jointed doll wearing a black prince charming suite. It sat looking alone in a small elegant looking maroon sofa inside a displayed glass box. It's an untouchable beauty.

"When I was I child, I badly wanted to have that doll,… but it wasn't for sale…"

He just looked at her, but the question never came. She continued anyway, Back then she realized that she's kind of used of him being the silent type guy.

"It was that old woman son who used to own that. He is a star now."

A star. Like how old the bed time stories tell, those who passed away became the stars we look up in the sky. Memories of love and happiness make them convince themselves that whenever they look in the sky, they would be able to feel their loveone's presence. Forever a star.

"You remind me a lot of that doll… mysterious… solitary…. and a little too scary." She nodded at herself for saying that. The more she looks at her companion, the more she thinks he stood just like that doll.

"Do you think I'm scary?"

"Not always, but I do,.. when you're scowling like this morning." Her honesty made him smirk. A smirk that is sufficient enough to haunt her down, enough to make her palm sweat in nervousness.

"I don't like your smirk. It makes me feel like you have something wicked inside your sophisticated mind."

And he smiled at the comment. Showing a side of him that even he himself wasn't really familiar with, something only she could initiate.

"But I like your smile. It makes you look more customary." She murmured, smiling brighter than always.

And right at that moment, he was sure he fell. Sure of something so new to him_. If he was a peaceful snow globe on top of a table, she was the one who shook him and turn his timid emotion into a_ _pandemonium_. But she was too dense to took notice of it, too naïve to get the secret hints he may have been throwing at her unintentionally.

She tilted her head to see more of him, but his face was good at it. A façade of him being an unemotional jerk.

And they walked together towards the counter. A smile still imprinted in her jolly face. The old lady greeted them a good afternoon, that further lighten up the mood.

"Would I still need to wrap it young miss?" picking up a little gold card her companion was playing with.

She shook her head in response, "Not really, we'd just take a small paper bag for it."

The old lady then stood and got a pink paper bag enough to cover the roundness of the snow globe. "It was a long time since I last saw you… And your brother."

"Yes, he's now abroad studying." she always knew where Aoi get her cute post-it notes. Yoichi used to buy for her from this store. She thought of how she wouldn't be surprised if the two of them would end up together.

"Here." The old lady then placed the pink paper bag on top of the table, with a ribbon hanging on its handle. She pulled out her purse and started digging for some money.

"Thanks... Here's the payment."

The old lady looked at her in wonder. "No need young lady. Your boyfriend had paid it for you."

She looked at the guy beside her instantly and saw him smirking while twirling his little deviant gold card in his fingers. That was fast. She never even noticed he had already paid it. Not that he intended her to notice it.

"It's not like I can come with you without a share even on the gift?"

Trying desperately to cure her depleting pride, she gave him a glare.

The old lady clapped her hands in awe. "What a lovely couple!"

She quickly tried to amend it, "No we are not, you seemed to miss inter-."

But Natsume beat her with it. "My girl's always in denial."

The look on her face was priceless as she exclaimed, "What?"

"Come on _hon'_, we'd be late" and he stride towards the door, grinning widely. Leaving a certain brunet gawking at his direction. A crazy though drawn in her head 'Is there a possibility he hit his head pretty hard sometime she wasn't looking?'

"Really,.. We aren't dating." She pleaded, still under recovery of what he had just said. It seemed like her stomach was then a butterfly sanctuary to react normally. She wondered if butterflies also have humans in their stomachs when they get too excited.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't tell a soul, not even your brother. No matter how fond I am of him."

She didn't debate no more. It would have been pointless anyway; the old lady would believe what her multimillionaire phony boyfriend had just said. She just took the bag with her and walked towards the door as she shouted.

"Thanks again!"

"Always welcome!" the old lady replied.

She ran towards the car and opened the door with haste just to greet him with a bizarre comment, "I can't believe you did that!"

"Well believe it because I just did. As if I'd met that old woman again." He watched as her small face took an offended course to deal with.

"How about me! Yoichi could come there and I'd be doomed." Her hands fumbling his cars seatbelt, desperate to buckle up.

"That's your problem to solve not mine."

"Self-centered brat..." she took a pause before interjecting the location of the event, "The party is straight ahead." She said as he pulled in to the highway. As soon as they hit the road, the awkward event passed smoothly of hook. She was looking blankly at the window when he spoke.

"Tell me the ending of the story you had told grandpa?" he then tapped on the steering wheel as he tried to remember the title of the story. "The jealous mermaid something?"

She laughed on him in an instant. "silly!"-laugh-" It's the little mermaid… Not the jealous mermaid!"

He didn't comment no more, he just let her laugh until she was over it. But behind his cool face, hides a little shame on his part. It wasn't his fault he was never good at fairy tales, or that at least is what he was telling his self.

"You're wonderin' if she ended being a human right?" Mikan teased, expecting a positive response from the raven haired lad.

"More like a tuna, if you asked." He corrected, amusement written in his voice.

She didn't take it humorously, but she still retold the ending of the story, the part when he needed to leave and change his clothing. "She was presented a dagger of which he was supposed to use to stab the prince in return of hers, but rather than killing him she jumped into the ocean and died by turning to bubbles… I pity her."

"I don't."

"You meanie! She deserves pity since he died trying."

"Idiot. That's exactly the thing; she died 'trying', not slacking off. So people should never dare pity her."

Mikan thought for a moment, but insisted on pursuing her opinion. For her, the mermaid deserves sympathy form the readers, and she wouldn't just let him ruin it by over lapsing his point of view with hers.

"But she died."

Natsume stepped more on the gas pedal, their speed went faster as he explained, "It's her decision making you should blame. She chooses to die."

Her eyebrow rose as she thought she realized what he meant. "But she doesn't have a choice. It's not like she could kill the prince or anything."

Natsume sighed "Not the killing part, idiot. Remember this- life is a gamble. She took it in exchange of human feet but luck didn't favor her, so she had to stand in her decision."

She grew silent for a minute. But answered anyway.

"You are an emotionless fox." She then grinned at him, trying to pull a lighter side of him. And her heart almost stopped when he gave another glance at her as he said;

"_No I'm not. I'm just being realistic."_

A/n: Prelim sucks. College sucks.

Question: **in one word describe a prince charming.**


	9. Snow White

Chapter 5 part 3 Snow White

Vastly wealthy. She was well aware that the guy seating beside her is, va-s-tly we-althy. That she was afraid that having him come with her in the party would be a total disappointment on his part, and she knew very well that deep inside her, he is the last person that she would have want to disappoint by then. Misaki Harada, the birthday celebrant, wasn't exactly from a rich family. But a simple, content and happy one, that gave her unique characteristic that acted as a strong magnetic attraction to Mikan's Tsubasa-niichan. Her party was always a blast, and Mikan knew it would always be.

"Mikan-chan!" a long haired guy rushed towards the brunet as soon as she stepped out of the car. A familiar face stood beside her as she called out in return. "Tono senpai!"

The older lad faced Mikan and Natsume with outmost excitement visible in his eyes when he said, "Misaki has been waiting for you!" And he gave a sideway glances on their surrounding that was then near the orchard.

"Really?" Th brunet exclaimed, she was grinning foolishly as she asked "Where is she?"

"Oh! She'd be here soon enough. She was actually the one who noticed the car you were riding. She literally pushed me to welcome you guys." Tono answered as he gave a gesture on his hands slightly pointing towards the white house at his back. Mikan remembered how much she enjoyed doing sleep over at that house when she was still attending her highschool. Those are always their groups good memories.

Reality paved its way on her when she took notice of her senpai eyeing the crimson eyed guy beside her. sensing his curiosity for the new face, she quickly introduced them to each other. "Tono senpai, this is Hyu-" but she was cut off when he introduced himself.

"Nasume." Then he shook hands with Tono, who was then was wearing an old faded denim pants and a rugged looking shirt, he seemed to be going in an art workshop rather than a birthday party. That is when they heard footsteps nearing them, a look sideways give them the view of the birthday celebrant. Her pink spiky hair tied in a cute purple ribbon. It matched her purple shirt, making her look simply –yet extra- pretty .

"Mikan!" the pink haired girl exclaimed, as soon as she was a few steps away from them. "Nee-chan!" Mikan cried in return. For a few moment, Natsume considered laughing at Mikan's expression as she looked like she's gonna cry, but a moment of thinking made him stay on his composure, that is a new thing he knew about her. When she is happy. She tends to cry.

"I'm so glad you came!" Misaki said as she gave the brunet a bear hug, which she replied equally. He wondered if there would be a chance he'd do the same to her, but that thought was automatically erased in his mind when Mikan's sweet voice, ones again filled the air.

"I myself am glad too! Happy birthday nee-chan!" and the two of them smiled warmly towards each other. As they pulled away the pink haired girl eyes dropped towards Natsume, with a little look even at a dark surrounding she could clearly make out his known features, sharp looking red eyes, jet black hair, good height, and sophisticated good look. But one is different, instead of a formal looking office suit, he was wearing a simple V-neck shirt.

"You must be Natsume?" He gave her a quizzical look before she explained. "Tsubasa had mentioned, or should I say babbling about you for a few days now. You should know he's a big fan." And she gave him a wink. That gave Mikan and Natsume the assurance that who he is would be kept well. Besides he had always wanted his personal activities kept private, he doesn't want to ruin the party with some photographers lurking on the bushes.

He smirked as he handled her the pink paper bag that Mikan had written notes a few minutes before they arrive, which the birthday celebrant took eagerly. "From the Mikan and I." he added.

Mikan's ears perked up with the mention of her name. The sound of his voice calling out 'Mikan' was a foreign sound for her ears yet sent frisson all over her. like it was a electrical shot against her. She would have been locked up on that moment if it wasn't for the part that her nee-chan faced her companion, asked a question towards him, and pulled her back to reality.

The question wasn't necessarily relevant, but the way Natsume answered it made her giggle involuntarily. He just wouldn't change, doesn't he? "Don't tell me it's the snow globe from the pink shop?"

"I wouldn't if that would help" that is when Mikan learned something about life. It's – when you start to like someone, no matter how nonsense he or she does, you still think it would be nice. it's like, every single thing he or she does would gain a positive prejudice in it.

'It's just a crush' that was something she kept playing in her mind since his nii-chan gave her a talk on the restaurant. Nothing more. Just a crush. But hell she knew it wasn't. It's just that she was too afraid of admitting she do like him. She was thinking of how to convince Nonoko and the others that he wasn't a 'something' is she herself can't convince herself. She's being hopeless. But everybody could say she shouldn't. One assurance is the way he took a step forward closing his distance between the brunet. An unconscious act of unexplainable attraction. Though invisible towards the brunet's eyes, his simple gestures were as clear as crystal towards their company. That gave Tono a mental note to keep his playful side away from the young lady. That way, he was sure he'd be in good terms with the crimson eyed lad.

"Oh- My-! thank you guys." Happiness was all over Misaki's face, Mikan's plan was a success, her nee-chan did like the snow globe. Then she remembered about the humugous bear on the back of Natsume's car. Her thought flew towards her cousin. As she answered Misaki "Always welcome nee-chan."

As if sensing her unease, Misaki offered Mikan and the others to get inside since the gang was inside, but on one look, Mikan can say that there were a lot of people inside the house. She even gave a wave towards Misaki's mom who happens to pass by the same time she gave the window a look. Istead of walking straighly inside, she threw a peek on the side of the house, where she knew the patio lies. That spot had always been their meeting place whenever they attend Misaki's birthday party. Her grin grew more defined as she saw firework sparks from that location; she knew they were again playing with those wands looking lights like they always do.

"And Mikan… your mom had just called. Sadly, They're not gonna come. But,…. they wished me a happy birthday and sent a present."

"And Yoichi?" Mikan asked, thinking if his wicked little brother found time attending their nee-chan's birthday. He was always too busy with school.

Misaki shook her head in response, "Not a sight yet, but if he would come, Aoi would have took mention of it."

That is when a more familiar voice butted in the conversation; Tsubasa came shouting; "Mi-kan-chan!" Misaki gave a small laugh as she murmured; "Here comes my idiot."

He was wearing a matching polo shirt with Misaki, but the weird thing is that he was wearing a beanie on a summer day. "Oi! I see you bring Natsume." And he gave the brunet a pat on the shoulder which earned him a silent glare from the man beside her. "Yeah. And I was glad I did." She mindlessly blurted out. 4 pairs of eyes darted straight towards her. It wasn't just Tsubasa who reacted instantly; even Tono gave her a very teasing look.

But she was able to dodge the looks with a simple word. "Oh look! The cloud above is shaped like a bear!" all of them looked up. but deep inside Tsubasa knew she was referring towards the gift. The bear that lies in his car's compartment. Her foolish smile ticked him of as she gave a tug at Natsume's arm. He gave her smirked in return.

"It doesn't look like a bear!" Tono answered back, as he and Misaki still kept staring at the night sky. Tsubasa hurriedly taught of a way on how to lure Misaki away and pulled out his gift in secrecy. Suddenly, the pile of woods becomes unexpectedly useful in a different sense.

"Misaki. Why don't you ask Tono to collect the woods for later tonight, I think I heard your grandma sent them behind the bush." Tsubasa said as he gave weird looks towards the couple beside him, that in that case wasn't surely a pair but he knew the three of them need a moment to be alone.

Misaki faced the long haired guy in an instant from the bright idea. "Right! Hey Tono. You'd help me don't you?" and she patted on his shoulder a couple of time in her attempt to make him do it.

"Why can't Tsubasa do it himself? He's the boyfriend anyway." Tono complained but it was eased out as Tsubasa gave out his pleading looks at Misaki's back. He was pushed to do a task to save his best friend. But it would never be late to ask for paybacks anyway.

As soon as the two of them walked away, their secret business was back on. Mikan chastely gave Tsubasa Natsume's car keys as she said; "It's in his car's compartment."

Tsubasa gave a deep breath and said. "Thanks guys. You two are life savers."

"Welcome." Mikan answered, but the guy beside her gave no words. He wasn't really sure if he was cool with that bear incident. Still, a small part of him was contented that that bear made Mikan decide to bring him in the party. Tsubasa hurriedly walked towards the car; but before he opened the compartment. He shouted; "Mikan-chan! Every one's at the patio. They were waiting for you all evening."

Natsume gave her a nudge on her shoulder as he asked; "Why does everybody seems to be waiting for you?" that made her smile in return. As she said.

"Don't ask me, even I myself don't know why." She answered as they walked toward the crowded house.

"Hello everyone!" Mikan shouted as ran towards the patio's entrance. That gave her every look from the people inside, everyone who was then extremely entertained by the lightning wands in their hands. That earned her smiles and laugh from her friends.

"Mikan-chan!" a guy with eyeglasses greeted her. And then the stare fell on the guy beside him, everyone was curious but only one was brave enough to ask about it.

"Wooah? Who is this? Boyfriend?" asked a perm haired girl as soon as she dragged him towards the view, he smirked in the process. He liked the sound of that. But the her reply was a nightmare.

"Nope,.. this is my friend Natsume." There was more than two heads who were disappointed of her reply, one of them was the speaker herself. Mikan extended her arms as she introduced every one.

"Natsume, this is Koko, the guy who always help Nonoko and I." then Koko stood and shook Natsume's hand, then as fast as he could he jumped back to his seat and continue munching on his barbeque. Mikan smiled at the scene, but then moved towards the perm haired lady seating beside Koko.

"This is Sumire, Koko's girlfriend. She had been my classmate from kindergarten till middle school." Mikan said as she pulled the raven haired guy closer to the group. "Nice meeting you,.. sweetie." Sumire said, for the first time Natsume took an effort to be polite,. Polite enough, not to bark towards her unbelievably rude words. And Mikan seemd to sensed it so she was forced to introduced the others.

"This is my cousin Yuu, and his younger brother Kokoyome."Mikan explained as she pointed on the two guys. And as always Kokoroyome shouted "Yo!" to acknowledge his presence.

"And of course , Nonoko." And the girl waved her hand as she greeted; "hey!" he gave a nod in return, unknown to Mikan, he had been sending and receiving emails from Nonoko for almost a week then, and mostly the subject would be the brunet herself.

"And my cute future sister in law. Aoi" Mikan said as she gave a wink towards Natsume's direction. It seemed that everyone in the group was inside a little private joke, the cute little lady blushed deeply as she stood beside Mikan. And together, they introduced Mochu.

"And this one is Mochu." Aoi shyly said, and it was Mikan who elaborate further; "He just graduated his MA degree this year." Mucho gave a weird look at Natsume as he said; "Nice meeting you, but have I seen you somewhere?" Mikan exchange odd looks at Nonoko in an instant.

It was then Koko who spoke at the background. "Now that you mention he does look familiar."

But Natsume was good at handling things like that; he's cool faced swiftly let him off the hook as he answered "Not that I can remember." And Mikan gave a nervous laugh before she said "Come on guys. Why don't we just start the usual?"

He gave Mikan a quizzical look as he waited for an explanation with the word 'usual'. "You see Natsume-kun, every year we made a tradition of escaping the party crowd and sneaking at the bonfire are for some goody old Mikan stories." Sumire said.

"Sometimes we even reach till dawn." Yuu added as he stood and walked towards the grills of the patio. Mikan unsurely faced the crimson eyed guy as she said "But you don't really have to come if you want to. You could just stay inside and-" she was cut off by Kokoyome.

"What are you saying Mikan-chan! It would be fun... Hey Natsume! You would join us. Don't you?" he gave Natsume a both a questioning and reassuring smile.

"Sure." Natsume answered, that cost Mikan an inwardly smile. Then the birthday celebrant walked in with Tsubasa and Tono at her back as she commented "Looks like the real party is stirring up to life now."

Tono faced Mikan and asked "so what's the story?" Last year, they spent the night hearing about Beauty and the Beast, but Tono got really drunk and fell asleep halfway. That is when they made the rule that on the years onward, hard liquors are out of the question.

Mikan gave a smile "as promise, it would be Snow White."

"This is so exciting, I think I'm gonna die!" Sumire shouted in glee. Everyone except the raven haired guy laughed, and then they stood and prepared to go towards the grassy area as they started telling what they ought to do and help them have a better party. Nothing beats a bonfire with good stories, not to mention they have a new face to tell embarrassing stories from their pasts.

"I'm gonna get the food." Aoi said

"I'm in for the drinks." And Nonoko was standing beside Aoi.

"We'd get the blankets." Yuu and Mochu stated

"we'd be settling the woods." Tsubasa and Tono mumbled to themselves.

"I'd eat." And every one turned towards Koko. Everybody laughed hysterically. He does loves to eat. Who doesn't anyway?

The fire was still on but everyone was snoozing apart from the two of them. Food is everywhere around the fire, the rugs were warm against the grass, silence engulfed them. But it wasn't even a bit awkward. Not even with the funny stories they laughed on a few moments ago.

It was Mikan who broke the peace. "They really are fast sleepers, aren't they? It's barely pass midnight and they were all dozing off. Even Aoi is asleep." She then pulled the blankets more towards the sleeping girl. She was fond of her, like she was her real sister or something.

"Future sister in law." He mocked her.

Mikan smiled in return. "Seriously. You see, Yoichi really likes her. Their story is kinda upside down you know."

"You mean?"

"It started when Aoi moved in our place back at home, seeing Yoichi for the first time she decided that will devote herself in making Yoichi notices her. But then after a few years of trying and no sign of success, she just woke up and felt that she was over him. That's when he started feeling different, like.. Her not being around him is a very foreign thing. So he started to buy her post it notes. Now, everybody thinks they are dating."

"Hn." He replied, but something clearly is bugging his mind.

She looked at him for a while as she asked, "So do you like the story?" she then pushed a bowl of corn chips away from her side towards the sleeping figures, hoping that she'd lessen the chance of making it spill even more.

"Of what? Your friend's highschool days? Or is the story of how you tried to pet on a turtle but decided to let it go in the ocean instead?"

"Ha-ha! You're not being funny. On my defense, I just did what is the right thing that I should do. And what I was actually referring was my fairy tale story tonight."

"That part, I don't really care?" she threw him a disappointed look. That made him rethink of what he said and gave clarification to lessen the awkwardness in the air as he said, "I mean it's not the real ending right. Just like sleeping beauty, I bet she woke up in a weirder way than a stupid- non existing magical kiss."

"Hey!" she answered disapprovingly. Magic do exist. That is a rule on her world.

"What? You do believe in such thing?" he asked shifting his foot from his comfortable seat to a straighter one. They are so close that their arms were almost touching. But it seemed unnoticeable to their part as per magic is compared.

"What I'm saying is that I believe in magic,.." and she whispered to herself "you muggle."

"What?" Natsume asked as he gave her his glare. He knew she said something, it's just that he doesn't quiet heard it pretty well. And that all alone was very frustrating. It was erased when she smiled as she answered him with "Nothing. Wait, back to the story…. The ending was more realistic."

"In what sense?"

She straighten her seat on the mat as she tell him the ending "see… instead of the prince kissing snow white, it turns out that she woke up when she was jostled in the prince carriage on their way to the palace."

"So the prince accidentally woke her up as he took her to the palace?"

She nodded and said. "Exactly."

"Question." He said as he raised his index finger as a sign of confusion. She didn't ask, she just gave him a query look. And with his cool voice, he asked, "What was he supposed to do with her sleeping figure?"

She gave a giggle and replied. "That. I don't know myself." The next thing she knew, they were laughing, it was the first time he laughed for that night. She almost taught he wasn't having fun in the first place back on the story telling part and then he was laughing just because of his stupid question and her stupid reply.

"Mikan." And all of the sudden he all the laughing was gone, her heart skipped a beat. Reality surpasses any written thing about a girls feeling, when he calls her name. Mikan didn't move, she just watched him as he started feeling something on his pocket. Then when he looked up he said,

"Nonoko mentioned you like these kind of insect, and I happen to pass by one of these on a weird shop from my last trip." What he said was a total lie, and he knew it was the lamest excuse he could say as he shoved a light blue colored box on her hands. Thoughts of ants and bugs appeared in her mind she stared at the ribbon poking from inside the box for a few seconds before he grew tired of her stares and he opened the box himself.

"It's not and insect, and- it is so very, stunningly, beautiful." she then hold on it and stared at the little crystals around the metallic pattern on the wings of a butterfly pendant. A very beautiful crystal colored butterfly. Just like her name, it was orange. And all she can say is;

"Thank you."

Clicks. Clicks. Small sounds were heard in the bushes.

a/n: sorry for the late update. I'm currently working on a oneshot.

**Question: Who is your favorite super hero?**


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